Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 15, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 1998, 10:38 PM CDT for Fond du Lac County, Washington County, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 62 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 15, 1998, 10:38 PM CDT (03:38 UTC)
- Expired
- May 15, 1998, 11:40 PM CDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS Milwaukee, WI
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Fond du Lac County, WI, Washington County, WI, Waukesha County, WI
The radar
The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:40 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 10:45 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Muskego, 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 7:30 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
| May 15, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 4 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 124 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 577 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -445 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1364 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 194 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 195 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KMKE 160338 RRA SVRMKE WIC039-059-101-131-133-160440- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1038 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EASTERN FOND DU LAC COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN KENOSHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN RACINE COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN WAUKESHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN * UNTIL 1140 PM CDT * AT 1030 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM FOND DU LAC TO LAKE GENEVA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... WAUKESHA BY 1050 PM CDT GERMANTOWN BY 1110 PM CDT RACINE BY 1115 PM CDT A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE IN THESE AREAS... SEEK SAFETY IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS. A BASEMENT OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION. TH/RK
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
Local storm report, May 15, 10:03 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1003 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0930 PM MT HOREB WI .75 INCH HAIL
05/15/98 DANE HAIL AND 50 MPH WINDS
0909 PM 2 W OF PORTAGE WI 58 MPH WIND GUST
05/15/98 COLUMBIA
0933 PM ALBANY WI WIND DAMAGE
05/15/98 GREEN TREES DOWN
0930 PM NEW GLARUS WI WIND DAMAGE
05/15/98 GREEN TREES DOWN
0930 PM BROADHEAD WI WIND DAMAGE
05/15/98 GREEN TREE LIMBS DOWN
0930 PM PORTAGE WI WIND DAMAGE
05/15/98 COLUMBIA TREES DOWN POWER LINES DOWN
COUNTYWIDE.
HENTZSpecial weather statement, May 15, 10:23 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-160600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1024 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998 ...TORNADO WATCH 358 CANCELED FOR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN... d TORNADO WATCH 358 FOR SOUTHWEST AND PARTS OF SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELED. SPECIFICALLY THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR LAFAYETTE...GREEN...IOWA...DANE...SAUK COUNTIES IN SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN. KRR
Special weather statement, May 15, 10:24 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-160600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1024 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998 ...TORNADO WATCH 358 CANCELED FOR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN... TORNADO WATCH 358 FOR SOUTHWEST AND PARTS OF SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELED. SPECIFICALLY THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR LAFAYETTE...GREEN...IOWA...DANE...SAUK COUNTIES IN SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN. KRR
Special weather statement, May 15, 10:24 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-160600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO TIME NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1024 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998 ...TORNADO WATCH 358 CANCELED FOR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN... TORNADO WATCH 358 FOR SOUTHWEST AND PARTS OF SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS BEEN CANCELED. SPECIFICALLY THE WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR LAFAYETTE...GREEN...IOWA...DANE...SAUK COUNTIES IN SOUTHCENTRAL WISCONSIN. KRR
Local storm report, May 15, 10:26 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1026 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0745 PM 1 W BENTON WI TORNADO
05/15/98 LAFAYETTE *** 3 INJ ***
TORNADO ON THE GROUND FROM
1/2 MILE W OF BENTON NE TO
2 MILES S OF COUNTY LINE ON
HWY O. TIME 745 PM TO 8 PM
CDT. 3 MINOR INJURIES.
DOZENS OF BARNS HEAVILY
DAMAGED. AT LEAST DOZEN
HOUSES DAMAGED. TREES
BLOCKING ROADS. INJURIES
OCCURRED 1 MILE N OF
HOLLAND RD ON PRAIRIE ROAD.
HENTZLocal storm report, May 15, 10:26 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1026 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0745 PM 1 W BENTON WI TORNADO
05/15/98 LAFAYETTE *** 3 INJ ***
TORNADO ON THE GROUND FROM
1/2 MILE W OF BENTON NE TO
2 MILES S OF COUNTY LINE ON
HWY O. TIME 745 PM TO 8 PM
CDT. 3 MINOR INJURIES.
DOZENS OF BARNS HEAVILY
DAMAGED. AT LEAST DOZEN
HOUSES DAMAGED. TREES
BLOCKING ROADS. INJURIES
OCCURRED 1 MILE N OF
HOLLAND RD ON PRAIRIE ROAD.
HENTZThe office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 7:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Lafayette | 62 min |
| May 15, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Iowa | 64 min |
| May 15, 8:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Iowa | 46 min |
| May 15, 8:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Dane, Sauk | 59 min |
| May 15, 8:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Lafayette | 45 min |
| May 15, 8:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Green, Rock | 62 min |
| May 15, 9:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Columbia, Dane | 63 min |
| May 15, 9:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Lafayette | 34 min |
| May 15, 9:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Dodge, Jefferson, Walworth | 59 min |
| May 15, 9:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Fond du Lac, Green Lake | 60 min |
| May 15, 10:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Kenosha, Racine | 62 min |
| May 15, 10:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Sheboygan | 63 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.