Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 6, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 4, 2012Grant County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this tornado warning at Sep 4, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT for Grant County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report 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
Sep 4, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT (00:41 UTC)
Expired
Sep 4, 2012, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Grant County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:43 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
Sep 4, 8:15 PM CDTHAIL 1.252 Se Patch Grove, WIOFF DUTY DISPATCHER REPORTED HAIL 1 TO 1.25 INCHES. SOME OF IT WAS CLUMPED TOGETHER WITH 3 TO 5 STONES. A FEW OF THOSE HIT HIS CAR AND CAUSED DAMAGE.

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
Sep 4, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 144 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2012-09-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1890 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2012-09-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 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
1890 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-49 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1662 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

051 
WFUS53 KARX 050041
TORARX
WIC043-050115-
/O.NEW.KARX.TO.W.0006.120905T0041Z-120905T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
741 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN...

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 738 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED A TORNADO 
  NEAR PATCH GROVE...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF GUTTENBERG...MOVING    
  SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  BLOOMINGTON AROUND 750 PM...
  NORTH ANDOVER AROUND 805 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED
FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND
COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4287 9082 4279 9094 4290 9108 4296 9098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 319DEG 11KT 4290 9099

$$

AJ
3 follow-up statements
549 
WWUS53 KARX 050051
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
751 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

WIC043-050115-
/O.CON.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120905T0115Z/
GRANT WI-
751 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY
UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

AT 747 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR STILL 
INDICATED A TORNADO LOCATED NEAR BLOOMINGTON...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST 
OF GUTTENBERG...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. AT 740 PM...LAW 
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR PATCH 
GROVE.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON AROUND 800 PM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED
FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND
COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4295 9096 4287 9082 4279 9094 4288 9105
TIME...MOT...LOC 0050Z 303DEG 12KT 4288 9094

$$

AJ
937 
WWUS53 KARX 050105
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
805 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

WIC043-050115-
/O.CON.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120905T0115Z/
GRANT WI-
805 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY
UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

AT 801 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
TORNADO LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON...OR 10 MILES WEST 
OF LANCASTER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON AROUND 810 PM...

IN ADDITION...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF 
BLOOMINGTON IS DROPPING SOUTH AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS CAN PRODUCE 
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH AND PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL 
AS THEY MOVE THROUGH BLOOMINGTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED
FOR A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...LAY FLAT IN A DITCH AND
COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4292 9092 4287 9082 4282 9089 4287 9098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0103Z 295DEG 16KT 4287 9088

$$

AJ
494 
WWUS53 KARX 050115
SVSARX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
815 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

WIC043-050124-
/O.EXP.KARX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-120905T0115Z/
GRANT WI-
815 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
815 PM CDT...

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
EXPIRED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT 
FOR ALL OF GRANT COUNTY UNTIL 845 PM CDT. 

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM BLOOMINGTON TO LANCASTER IS 
MOVING SOUTH AT 35 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 
DESTRUCTIVE DAMAGING WINDS OF 70 MPH.

LAT...LON 4292 9092 4287 9082 4282 9089 4287 9098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0114Z 295DEG 16KT 4285 9082

$$

AJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 4, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXGrant60 min
Sep 4, 7:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXRichland65 min
Sep 4, 7:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXGrant70 min
Sep 4, 8:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXCrawford, Grant6 hr
Sep 4, 8:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXGrant39 min
Sep 5, 1:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXLa Crosse, Vernon27 min
Sep 5, 1:51 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXGrant3 hr
Sep 5, 1:59 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningARXCrawford, Grant3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.