Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Milwaukee, WI

September 15, 1994Taylor County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Sep 15, 1994, 5:54 PM CDT for Taylor County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 15, 1994, 5:54 PM CDT (22:54 UTC)
Expired
Sep 15, 1994, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Taylor County, WI

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 206 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1994-09-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 631 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1994-09-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 188 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
631 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-81 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
825 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMKE 152255
TORMKE
WIC119-152330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
554 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY
 
AT 551 PM DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH POSSIBLE
TORNADOES IN EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY. A SHERIFF DEPUTY REPORTED THAT HE
OBSERVED THE BEGINNING STAGES OF A TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF MEDFORD.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
 
IF YOU LIVE IN EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY...TAKE COVER NOW!!!!!
THE TOWNS OF RIB LAKE... CHELSEA...WHITTLESEY ...MEDFORD.. AND
GOODRICH ARE IN THE PATHS OFTHE STORMS.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
KAPELA

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 15, 4:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
WIZ043-044-055-056-152355-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
453 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...

AT 443 PM CDT RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
HEAVY RAIN ENTERING WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.  THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES WEST OF WAUSAU...TO 30 MILES WEST OF
DUBUQUE IOWA.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35
MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH.

SOME CITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE RICHLAND CENTER...REEDSBURG
...MAUSTON...NECEDAH...FRIENDSHIP.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

PIERCE
Special weather statement, Sep 15, 4:55 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
WIZ017-029-152300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
455 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HEADING TOWARDS TAYLOR AND CLARK COUNTIES...

AT 450 PM CDT...A SOLID LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
FROM NEAR EAGLETON IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY...OR ABOUT 20 MILES
NORTHNORTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE TO FOSTER...OR 15 MILES SOUTHSOUTHEAST OF
EAU CLAIRE.  THE LINE WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND TREES DOWN
IN THE EAU CLAIRE AREA...ALSO FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAIN.

THESE STORMS WILL BE APPROACHING THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTIES OF
TALOR AND CLARK BETWEEN 515 PM AND 530 PM...AND THEN THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THOSE COUNTIES AFTER 530 PM.
<
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

JDH
Special weather statement, Sep 15, 4:59 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
WIZ017-029-152300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
455 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HEADING TOWARDS TAYLOR AND CLARK COUNTIES...

AT 450 PM CDT...A SOLID LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
FROM NEAR EAGLETON IN CHIPPEWA COUNTY...OR ABOUT 20 MILES
NORTHNORTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE TO FOSTER...OR 15 MILES SOUTHSOUTHEAST OF
EAU CLAIRE.  THE LINE WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND TREES DOWN
IN THE EAU CLAIRE AREA...ALSO FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAIN.

THESE STORMS WILL BE APPROACHING THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTIES OF
TALOR AND CLARK BETWEEN 515 PM AND &530 PM...AND THEN THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THOSE COUNTIES AFTER 530 PM.
<
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

JDH
Special weather statement, Sep 15, 5:35 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
WIZ017-018-029-030-035-036-152340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
535 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM FOR CLARK AND
TAYLOR COUNTIES...

THROUGH 530 PM CDT NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEN RECEIVED FROM
CLARK AND TAYLOR COUNTIES.

AT 535 PM CDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 24 MILES EAST OF EAU CLAIR NEAR WILSON
DOWN TO A POINT JUST WEST OF DUBUQUE IOWA. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. BY 600 PM THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL HAVE
REACHED THE AREA FROM MEFORD IN TAYLOR COUNTY TO THE WESTERN PART OF
WOOD COUNTY IN THE MARSHFELD TO BABCOCK CORIDOOR.

STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. IF
YOU LIVE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS TAKE COVER IN YOUR HOME OR
BUILDING AS THE STORMS APPROACH. STAY AWAUW FROM WINDOWS.

IN OPEN AREAS...GO TO A LOW PLACE SUCH AS A RAVINE OR VALLEY.

KAPELA
Special weather statement, Sep 15, 5:36 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
WIZ017-018-029-030-035-036-152340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
535 PM CDT THU SEP 15 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM FOR CLARK AND
TAYLOR COUNTIES...

THROUGH 530 PM CDT NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEN RECEIVED FROM
CLARK AND TAYLOR COUNTIES.

AT 535 PM CDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SOLID LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM 24 MILES EAST OF EAU CLAIR NEAR WILSON
DOWN TO A POINT JUST WEST OF DUBUQUE IOWA. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. BY 600 PM THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL HAVE
REACHED THE AREA FROM MEFORD IN TAYLOR COUNTY TO THE WESTERN PART OF
WOOD COUNTY IN THE MARSHFELD TO BABCOCK CORIDOOR.

STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. IF
YOU LIVE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS TAKE COVER IN YOUR HOME OR
BUILDING AS THE STORMS APPROACH. STAY AWAUW FROM WINDOWS.

IN OPEN AREAS...GO TO A LOW PLACE SUCH AS A RAVINE OR VALLEY.

KAPELA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 15, 5:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXClark, Taylor51 min
Sep 15, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXMarathon, Portage, Wood65 min
Sep 15, 6:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXLincoln27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.