Alert archive / Wisconsin / Special Weather Statements in 2015

Special Weather Statement, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 3, 20157 counties in Wisconsin; 4 counties in Iowa

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this special weather statement at May 3, 2015, 9:41 PM CDT for 7 counties in Wisconsin; 4 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 109 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
May 3, 2015, 9:41 PM CDT (02:41 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2015, 11:30 PM CDT
In force
109 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI

Counties Allamakee County, IA, Clayton County, IA, Fayette County, IA, Winneshiek County, IA, Adams County, WI, Crawford County, WI, Grant County, WI, Juneau County, WI, Monroe County, WI, Richland County, WI, Vernon County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:44 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 184 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 2015-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 527 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2015-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 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
527 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2064 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
128 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.

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 3, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
345 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 2015

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 2015

AT 3 PM...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM IRONWOOD MICHIGAN TO ORANGE
IOWA /KORG/. TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THIS FRONT ARE IN THE LOWER TO
MID 80S. MINNEAPOLIS AMDAR SOUNDINGS SHOW A CAP BETWEEN 925 MB
AND 800 MB. IN ORDER TO GET CONVECTION AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...THE
TEMPERATURES WOULD HAVE TO GET INTO THE MID 80S TO BREAK THIS CAP.
IN ADDITION... THE MIXING HAS LOWERED DEW POINTS LOWERED TO AROUND
50. THIS IS LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF THE INSTABILITY AHEAD OF COLD
FRONT AT THIS TIME. SURFACE CAPES ARE ONLY IN THE 1000 TO 1500
J/KG RANGE...SO NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING TO DEVELOP IN OUR AREA THIS
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER LEFT SMALL CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IN THE
FORECAST JUST IN CASE THE CAP BREAKS A BIT EARLIER THAN
ANTICIPATED.

FOR THIS EVENING...THE MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE MID AND UPPER 50
DEW POINTS WILL MOVE INTO AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 94. THIS HELPS
THE 0-3 KM MOST UNSTABLE CAPES CLIMB INTO THE 1 TO 2K RANGE.
MEANWHILE THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA WILL BE IN THE 500 TO
1000 J/KG RANGE. LIKE THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS...THE BEST 0-6 KM
EFFECTIVE SHEAR /40 TO 45 KNOTS/ WILL BE FOUND ALONG AND BEHIND
THE FRONT. WITH THE 0-3 KM SHEAR 20 KNOTS...IT IS GOING TO BE HARD
TO KEEP THE GUST FRONT ANCHORED ALONG THE FRONT. THE ONLY THING
REALLY GOING FOR DAMAGING WINDS ARE VERY DRY SUB CLOUD AREA. WITH
SKINNY CAPE SHOWING UP IN THE SOUNDINGS...YOU MAY GET UP TO A
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT MOST. WITH ALL OF THIS IN MIND...SEVERE
WEATHER CHANCES LOOK TO BE MARGINAL TO ISOLATED AT BEST.

OVERNIGHT...THE MODELS SHOW THAT THERE WILL BE A BAND OF 900 TO
700 MB FRONTOGENESIS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94. THIS IS
ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH. WITH THE ARW NOT
GENERATING CONVECTION EARLIER IN THE EVENING...THERE IS ENOUGH
INSTABILITY FOR THIS MODEL TO PRODUCE A BAND OF SHOWERS AND
STORMS. MEANWHILE THE OTHER MESO MODELS USE UP THIS INSTABILITY
BEFORE THIS FRONTOGENESIS DEVELOPS. OVERALL...THE LATTER MODELS
LOOK TO BE THE PROBABLE SOLUTIONS...SO TRENDED THE FORECAST TOWARD
THEM.

ON MONDAY...MANY OF THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT THE COLD
FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH OF THE AREA DURING THE EARLY MORNING. THE
GFS CONTINUES TO BE THE FARTHEST NORTH...BUT WITH THE HIGH
BUILDING INTO THE AREA AND DRY DEW POINTS ALREADY BUILDING
SOUTH...LEANED MORE TOWARD THE DRIER MODELS.

.LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)
ISSUED AT 345 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 2015

ON MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...THE MODELS SHOW WEAK 850 MB
MOISTURE DEVELOPS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90. AS THIS OCCURS...THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE BACK NORTH INTO NORTHEAST IOWA
AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. WITH LIMITED SHEAR...NOT EXPECTING ANY
SEVERE WEATHER WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. WITH A PRECIPITATION AND
CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA...WENT A COUPLE OF DEGREES COOLER THAN THE
MODEL CONSENSUS.

ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...A SHORT WAVE RIDGE WILL BUILD
NORTH ACROSS THE AREA. AS THIS OCCURS...THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE
QUICKLY NORTH ACROSS THE AREA. WITH THIS IN MIND KEPT THE LOWESTRAIN
CHANCES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90.

FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME PERIOD...STILL SOME QUESTIONS ON
HOW FAST THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE AREA. AS A
RESULT...DID NOT CHANGE TOO FAR FROM THE MODEL CONSENSUS.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1224 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 2015

VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE A COLD FRONT
ENTERS THE AREA EARLY THIS EVENING. EXPECTING A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT...MAKING PASSAGE THROUGH KRST
IN THE 23Z-03Z TIME FRAME...AND IN THE 01Z-05Z TIME FRAME AT KLSE.
EXPECT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS WITH THE SHRA/TS ACTIVITY WITH
CIGS/VSBY TEMPORARILY DIPPING INTO THE MVFR/IFR RANGE. THERE
REMAINS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW OF THE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50KT AND HAIL TO THE
SIZE OF QUARTERS. LOOK FOR THE FRONT AND SHRA/TS ACTIVITY TO CLEAR
SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA IN THE 07-09Z TIME FRAME WITH A RETURN TO
VFR CONDITIONS.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...NONE.
MN...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...BOYNE
LONG TERM...BOYNE
AVIATION...DAS
Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 9:24 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 3, 8:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, May 3, 8:46 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, May 3, 8:47 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, May 3, 8:51 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, May 3, 9:02 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Special weather statement, May 3, 9:41 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 7:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXBuffalo, Trempealeau75 min
May 3, 8:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXClark55 min
May 3, 8:40 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXJackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Vernon80 min
May 3, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXMitchell42 min
May 3, 7:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXFillmore, Mower, Olmsted58 min
May 3, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXWinona50 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Wisconsin, 2015Special Weather Statements in Iowa, 2015Every special weather statement in 2015

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.