Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 18, 1996Chippewa County, Rusk County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1996, 12:38 AM CDT for Chippewa County, Rusk County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 37 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 1996, 12:38 AM CDT (05:38 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1996, 1:15 AM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Chippewa County, WI, Rusk County, WI

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 1:00 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Bruce, WI

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 194 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1996-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3047 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1996-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 155 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3047 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
155 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
270 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
12.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 180539
SVRMSP
WIC017-107-180615-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
1238 AM CDT SAT MAY 18 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...NORTHERN CHIPPEWA COUNTY...RUSK COUNTY
 
AT 1235 AM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN BARRON
COUNTY FROM RICE LAKE TO CHETEK. CHETEK IS ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF RICE
LAKE. THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND WILL LIKELY AFFECT
WEYERHAUSER...ISLAND LAKE AND HOLCOMBE BEFORE MIDNIGHT...THEN MOVE INTO
LADYSMITH BY 115 AM.6
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.  REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.  BE READY TO
QUICKLY MOVE TO THE BASEMENT.
 
JJ

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, May 17, 7:39 PM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes before
MNZ039-040-046-047-054>056-064-180145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN/TWIN CITIES MN
738 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 383 HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN PART OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

TRAVERSE...GRANT...STEVENS...BIG STONE...SWIFT...LAC QUI PARLE
CHIPPEWA AND YELLOW MEDICINE.

A TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 386 WILL GO IN EFFECT 745 PM UNTIL 100 AM FOR
MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHExAST MINNESOTA.

JVM
Special weather statement, May 17, 9:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
MNZALL-180300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN/TWIN CITIES MN
925 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 383 HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED AND IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST MINNESOTA.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THIS AREA UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MILES AN HOUR
ARE LIKELY WITH PASSAGE OF THE STRONGER STORMS.

ADDITIONAL INFORhMATION... A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA UNTIL 100 AM SATURDAY MORNING.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA
UNTIL 200 AM.

JVM
Local storm report, May 17, 9:57 PM CDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHANHASSEN/TWIN CITIES MN
956 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

TIME                   EVENT/COUNTY
620 PM CDT           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL - MARIETTA IN LAC QUI PARLE
                     COUNTY

650 PM CDT           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN WESTERN STEVENS
                     COUNTY

651 PM CDT           TORNADO - JUST WEST OF MORRIS IN STEVENS COUNTY

745 PM CDT           FUNNEL CLOUD - WESTERN STEARNS

800 PM CDT           MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT SAUK CENTRE IN STEARN COUNTY

820-845 PM CDT       MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND 50 MPH WIND GUST NEAR CUSHING
                     IN MORRISON COUNTY
955 PM CDT         GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT CLEAR LAKE IN EASTERN STEARNS
                   COUNTY

JVM
Special weather statement, May 17, 11:46 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
WIZ014-180515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
1146 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

AT 1145 PM...RADAR INDICATED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH HAD EARLIER
PRODUCED LARGE HAIL OVER NORTHERN POLK COUNTY HAD MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
BURNETT COUNTY. THEREFORE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT WAS IN
EFFECT FOR NORTHERN POLK COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED AS OF 1145 PM.

JJ
Special weather statement, May 17, 11:48 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
WIZ014-180515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
1146 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 1996

AT 1145 PM...RADAR INDICATED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH HAD EARLIER
PRODUCED LARGE HAIL OVER NORTHERN POLK COUNTY HAD MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
BURNETT COUNTY. THEREFORE...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT WAS IN
EFFECT FOR NORTHERN POLK COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED AS OF 1145 PM.

JJ
Special weather statement, May 18, 12:38 AM CDT, 0 minutes before
MNZ004>096-180640-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1237 AM CDT SAT MAY 18 1996

...WESTERN PORTIONS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCHES
CANCELLED...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SHIFTED INTO THE ARROWHEAD OF MINNESOTA
EXTENDING SOUTHWARD INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN AND THE EXTREME EASTERN
PARTS OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA.  THEREFORE THE WESTERN PARTS
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 387 HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL FALLS AND HIBBING.  IN ADDITION...THE
WESTERN PARTS OF TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 386 HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
INCLUDING MANKATO...HUTCHINSON AND ST. CLOUD.  THE TORNADO WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TWIN CITIES METRO UNTIL 1 AM.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE REDEVELOPING IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA AND ARE
PUSHING TO THE NORTHEAST.  THESE STORMS WILL BE ENTERING PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA BY 130 AM.  A NEW WEATHER WATCH MAY BE ISSUED
FOR THIS AREA SHORTLY.

MBK

"

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 11:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPolk25 min
May 17, 11:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXPolk, Saint Croix35 min
May 17, 11:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMPXBarron, Dunn50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996

Sources

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