Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Milwaukee, WI

August 18, 2005Columbia County, Dane County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Aug 18, 2005, 6:06 PM CDT for Columbia County, Dane County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 39 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Aug 18, 2005, 6:06 PM CDT (23:06 UTC)
Expired
Aug 18, 2005, 6:45 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Columbia County, WI, Dane County, WI

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:10 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 18, 6:18 PM CDTTORNADO3 N Lodi, WITORNADO ON THE GROUND.
Aug 18, 6:20 PM CDTTORNADO3 N Dane, WITORNADO ON THE GROUND WITH DEBRIS.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 18, 2:50 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 2005-08-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 206 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 2005-08-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 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
206 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
995 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 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 
WFUS53 KMKX 182306
TORMKX
WIC021-025-182345-
/O.NEW.KMKX.TO.W.0031.050818T2306Z-050818T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
606 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  COLUMBIA COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN
  DANE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT

* AT 605 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
  A TORNADO NEAR LODI...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAKE
  WISCONSIN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  DEFOREST AND WINDSOR AROUND 615 PM CDT...
  SUN PRAIRIE AROUND 625 PM CDT...
  FALL RIVER AROUND 635 PM CDT...
  COLUMBUS AND MARSHALL AROUND 640 PM CDT...

DO NOT USE HIGHWAY OVERPASSES FOR SHELTER. OVERPASSES DO NOT PROVIDE
PROTECTION FROM TORNADIC WINDS. VEHICLES STOPPED UNDER BRIDGES BLOCK
TRAFFIC AND PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GETTING OUT OF THE STORMS PATH AND
TO SHELTER. IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE AWAY FROM THE TORNADO...GET OUT OF
YOUR VEHICLE AND LIE FLAT IN A DITCH AS A LAST RESORT.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.

LAT...LON 4342 8958 4312 8962 4310 8902 4342 8900

$$

REM
3 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KMKX 182324
SVSMKX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
620 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

WIC021-025-182345-
/O.CON.KMKX.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-050818T2345Z/
COLUMBIA-DANE-
620 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR DANE AND COLUMBIA
COUNTIES...

AT 615 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS 
TORNADO WAS LOCATED IN FITCHBURG...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MONONA BY 635 PM CDT...
  
AT 622 PM CDT...HAMS REPORTED A TORNADO 3 NORTH OF DANE...AND 
ANOTHER TORNADO 3 MILES NORTH OF LODI. THESE TORNADOES WERE MOVING 
EAST-NORTHEAST. DEFOREST IS IN THE PATH OF THE DANE TORNADO. 

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING 
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.

LAT...LON 4342 8958 4312 8962 4310 8902 4342 8900

$$

MBK
000 
WWUS53 KMKX 182336
SVSMKX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
635 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

WIC021-025-182345-
/O.CON.KMKX.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-050818T2345Z/
COLUMBIA-DANE-
635 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR DANE AND COLUMBIA
COUNTIES...

AT 630 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO ABOUT 3 
MILES SOUTH OF MCFARLAND...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS TORNADO WILL 
REACH THE AREA SOUTH OF COTTAGE GROVE BY 640 PM.

ANOTHER STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED WEST OF 
FITCHBURG...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

ANOTHER STORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES WAS LOCATED IN 
EXTREME SOUTHERN COLUMBIA COUNTY SOUTH OF ARLINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 
30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT FAR NORTHERN DANE COUNTY THROUGH AT 
LEAST 7 PM. 

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING 
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.

LAT...LON 4342 8958 4312 8962 4310 8902 4342 8900

$$

KAPELA
000 
WWUS53 KMKX 182345
SVSMKX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
645 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

WIC021-182352-
/O.EXP.KMKX.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-050818T2345Z/
COLUMBIA-
645 PM CDT THU AUG 18 2005

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR COLUMBIA COUNTY EXPIRED AT 645 PM...

THE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED BELOW SERVER LIMITS IN SOUTHERN COLUMBIA 
COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING 
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 1100 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN.

LAT...LON 4329 8961 4312 8962 4309 8904 4323 8917

$$

MBK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 18, 7:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXIowa, Lafayette45 min
Aug 18, 7:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXGreen, Lafayette52 min
Aug 18, 4:37 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXSauk53 min
Aug 18, 5:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXIowa, Sauk23 min
Aug 18, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane64 min
Aug 18, 5:21 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXColumbia, Dane, Iowa, Sauk54 min
Aug 18, 5:47 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXMarquette43 min
Aug 18, 6:29 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXJefferson61 min
Aug 18, 6:33 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXGreen Lake, Marquette35 min
Aug 18, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDane36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 2005Every tornado warning in 2005Tornadoes in 2005

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.