Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 79, NWS Milwaukee, WI

July 16, 2004Dane County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 16, 2004, 3:41 PM CDT for Dane County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 64 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 16, 2004, 3:41 PM CDT (20:41 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2004, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Dane County, WI

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:44 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 182 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 2004-07-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 151 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 2004-07-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -4 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
151 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-115 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1600 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KMKX 162041
SVRMKX
WIC025-162145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
341 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  DANE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 330 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  WINDSOR...OR ABOUT OVER WINDSOR...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MADISON. AND COTTAGE GROVE BY 355 PM CDT.
  MONONA BY 400 PM CDT.
  MCFARLAND BY 410 PM CDT.
  6 MILES EAST OF FITCHBURG BY 415 PM CDT.
  STOUGHTON. AND OREGON BY 430 PM CDT.

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED SOME WEAK ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM.
WHILE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...A TORNADO MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A
TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

LAT...LON 4322 8919 4322 8944 4288 8945 4289 8914

$$

MK

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.

NWS Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 16, 3:00 PM CDT, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 3:00 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
300 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

.DISCUSSION...FORECAST FOCUS ON PCPN CHANCES THIS EVENING AND QUIET
WEATHER PATTERN AFTERWARD.

IN THE SHORT TERM...ONGOING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIT CWA
LATER THIS EVENING AS ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH AND 500 MILLIBAR
VORTICITY CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEAST. ETA/NGM/GFS/RUC PROGS IN
VERY CLOSE AGREEMENT...ALTHOUGH GFS LINGERS PRECIPITATION SHIELD
OVER SOUTHEAST PARTS OF CWA AFTER 06Z SATURDAY.

IN THE LONG TERM...ALL PROGS BUILD HIGH PRESSURE INTO WISCONSIN
SATURDAY. NGM PROG...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT...GFS PROG PIVOT BAND
OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION FROM EAST TO WEST WITH WEAK INVERTED TROUGH
FROM LOW PRESSURE FORMING OVER OHIO VALLEY. TIME CROSS SECTIONS SHOW
EXTENSIVE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEING OPPOSED BY DOWNWARD AND DRY
VERTICAL MOTION IN THE MIDDLE LAYERS. HOWEVER WILL KEEP CWA DRY FOR
NOW AS THIS FEATURE WAS ABSENT FROM PREVIOUS DAYS PROGS.

IN THE LONG LONG TERM...ETA/GFS PROGS BUILD HIGH PRESSURE OVER CWA
SUNDAY WITH QUIET WEATHER. NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AT THE
EARLIEST LOOKS TO BE MONDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.MKX...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE

ZAJDEL
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 16, 5:35 AM CDT, 10 hours 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
535 AM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-171000-
COLUMBIA-DANE-DODGE-FOND DU LAC-GREEN-GREEN LAKE-IOWA-JEFFERSON-
KENOSHA-LAFAYETTE-MARQUETTE-MILWAUKEE-OZAUKEE-RACINE-ROCK-SAUK-
SHEBOYGAN-WALWORTH-WASHINGTON-WAUKESHA-
535 AM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

LOCALLY DENSE FOG WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO 1/4 TO 1/2 MILE
THROUGH 8 AM IN THE WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY AREA OF NORTHERN
IOWA...SOUTHERN SAUK...AND NORTHWESTERN DANE COUNTIES. THERE IS A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN
THE COUNTIES OF LAFAYETTE...GREEN...ROCK...WALWORTH...RACINE...AND
KENSOHA. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE.
OTHERWISE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER GROUPS WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

KAPELA

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 16, 12:37 PM CDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1237 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1227 PM     HAIL             DELAFIELD               43.07N 88.39W
07/16/2004  0.75 INCH        WAUKESHA           WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            REPORTED ON INTERSTATE 94 BETWEEN HIGHWAY 83 AND COUNTY
            HIGHWAY SS.

&&

BORGHOFF
Local storm report, Jul 16, 1:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
127 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0122 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     FOND DU LAC             43.77N 88.45W
07/16/2004                   FOND DU LAC        WI   PUBLIC

            NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN NOTED JUST
            EAST OF THE CITY OF FOND DU LAC.

&&

BORGHOFF
Local storm report, Jul 16, 1:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
142 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0134 PM     HAIL             FOND DU LAC             43.77N 88.45W
07/16/2004  0.75 INCH        FOND DU LAC        WI   AMATEUR RADIO

            MILITARY RD. AND HIGHWAY 41.

&&

BORGHOFF
Local storm report, Jul 16, 1:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
144 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0138 PM     HAIL             FOND DU LAC             43.77N 88.45W
07/16/2004  0.75 INCH        FOND DU LAC        WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            JOHNSON AND HICKORY STREETS.

&&

BORGHOFF
Local storm report, Jul 16, 2:32 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
232 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0229 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     ALLENTON                43.42N 88.34W
07/16/2004                   WASHINGTON         WI   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR HWY 33
            AND HWY 41 MOVING SOUTH SOUTHEAST.

&&

BORGHOFF
Local storm report, Jul 16, 2:47 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
247 PM CDT FRI JUL 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0240 PM     TORNADO          HUSTISFORD              43.35N 88.60W
07/16/2004                   DODGE              WI   TRAINED SPOTTER

            A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND NEAR HWY 33 AND
            COUNTY ROAD P. HUSTISFORD IS ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF
            JUNEAU.

&&

BORGHOFF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 9:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane48 min
Jul 16, 10:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXGreen38 min
Jul 16, 11:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Green55 min
Jul 16, 12:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXIowa, Lafayette60 min
Jul 16, 12:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXIowa, Lafayette59 min
Jul 16, 12:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXWaukesha48 min
Jul 16, 12:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXOzaukee, Washington57 min
Jul 16, 1:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXFond du Lac53 min
Jul 16, 1:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXSheboygan33 min
Jul 16, 1:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Marquette60 min
Jul 16, 1:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXOzaukee, Sheboygan42 min
Jul 16, 2:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXColumbia, Marquette66 min
Jul 16, 2:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDodge58 min
Jul 16, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXWashington62 min
Jul 16, 2:44 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDodge31 min
Jul 16, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Sauk60 min
Jul 16, 3:46 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMKX44 min
Jul 16, 3:46 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMKX44 min
Jul 16, 3:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXKenosha33 min
Jul 16, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Green, Rock30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 2004Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.