Tornado Watch 258

Issued

May 8, 2002, 6:00 PM CDT (23:00 UTC)

Expired

May 8, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Counties Allamakee County, IA, Clayton County, IA, Fayette County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA, Fillmore County, MN, Houston County, MN, Wabasha County, MN, Winona County, MN, Buffalo County, WI, Clark County, WI, Crawford County, WI, Eau Claire County, WI, Grant County, WI, Jackson County, WI, La Crosse County, WI, Monroe County, WI, Pepin County, WI, Richland County, WI, Trempealeau County, WI, Vernon County, WI

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:01 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.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 082255
SEL8  
SPC WW 082251
IAZ000-MNZ000-WIZ000-090400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 258
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
551 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTHEAST IOWA                               
   SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA                          
   WESTERN WISCONSIN                          

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 600 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE WISCONSIN TO 90 MILES
SOUTH OF LA CROSSE WISCONSIN.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 254...WW 255...WW
256...WW 257...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY OVER
PARTS OF NORTHEAST IA AND SOUTHEAST MN.  ALTHOUGH EASTWARD EXTENT
OF LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY IS LIMITED...STORMS MAY REMAIN SEVERE AS
THEY SPREAD INTO WESTERN WI.  VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES INDICATE SOME
POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

...HART

444,0901 423,0901 423,0921 444,0921

WWUS20 KWNS 082255
SEL8  
SPC WW 082251
IAZ000-MNZ000-WIZ000-090400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 258
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
551 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTHEAST IOWA                               
   SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA                          
   WESTERN WISCONSIN                          

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 600 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE WISCONSIN TO 90 MILES
SOUTH OF LA CROSSE WISCONSIN.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 254...WW 255...WW
256...WW 257...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY OVER
PARTS OF NORTHEAST IA AND SOUTHEAST MN.  ALTHOUGH EASTWARD EXTENT
OF LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY IS LIMITED...STORMS MAY REMAIN SEVERE AS
THEY SPREAD INTO WESTERN WI.  VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES INDICATE SOME
POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

...HART

444,0901 423,0901 423,0921 444,0921

Tornado Watches in Wisconsin, 2002Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2002Tornado Watches in Minnesota, 2002Every tornado watch in 2002

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.