Alert archive / Wisconsin / Special Weather Statements in 2018

Special Weather Statement, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 20, 20185 counties in Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this special weather statement at Sep 20, 2018, 10:28 PM CDT for 5 counties in Wisconsin. It was in force for 92 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
Sep 20, 2018, 10:28 PM CDT (03:28 UTC)
Expired
Sep 21, 2018, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
92 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI

Counties Adams County, WI, Crawford County, WI, Grant County, WI, Juneau County, WI, Richland County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:33 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, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 173 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 2018-09-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1221 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 2018-09-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 195 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
1221 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1727 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
195 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
274 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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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 Sep 20, 6:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 6:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
600 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 236 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

Surface analysis early this afternoon shows the area of low
pressure has progressed into northeast Nebraska with the warm
front stretched across northern Iowa. The warm front was just to
the south of the local area as observations showed the wind shift
and temperature jump with the front at KIIB and KDBQ at 18Z. As
the surface low continues to track northeast tonight, the warm
front will be synoptically pulled north by the low and should be
working north through the local area late this afternoon through
the early evening. Once the low and warm front are past the area,
the cold front tied to the low will then sweep across the area
during the evening and overnight hours. These features will pose
the severe weather threat through the evening hours.

While the hi-res meso scale models in general do not show any
activity developing along the warm front as it lifts north, not
entirely comfortable with this. The low level moisture transport
will be increasing ahead of the surface low and approaching short
wave trough. As this intersects the frontal boundary, it could
cause some activity to form along the front. The main activity
looks to be tied to the cold front where the forcing from the
short wave trough will be stronger. A line of convection is
expected to quickly from along the front over central Minnesota
into northwest Iowa and move east with the front. The expected
timing of this activity now looks to have it entering the western
sections between 7 and 8 pm and exiting the east after 1 am.

The ML CAPE will spread in behind the warm front with several runs
of the RAP suggesting 1500 to 2000 J/Kg will be in place ahead of
the cold front. Plenty of shear will be in place with up to 50
knots in the 0-6 km layer. Most of this looks to reside in the 0-1
km where there will be up to 40 knots with a slight increase up
through 3 km and then increasing a bit more through 6 km. Given
the expected line structure along the front, the main threat
should be damaging winds, but withe amount of low level shear, a
short-lived embedded tornado will be possible. Also concerned that
if the warm front does not progress as far north as expected, a
storm could latch onto it and ride along it with an increase
tornado threat. The storms should be able to produce a period of
heavy rain as an axis of 2 inch precipitable water will be in
place right along the front. However, given the north/south
orientation of the line and that it will be progressive, any heavy
rain should be rather short-lived at any given point and not be
enough produce any new or aggravate on-going flooding.

The system will be past the area for Friday, but cyclonic flow
around the surface low will keep the area covered in clouds for
much of the day along with a lingering shower chance in the
morning across the north in the morning. Much cooler air will be
ushered in with highs only reaching the upper 50s to lower 60s. It
will also be breezy with northwest winds gusting to around 30 mph.

.LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday)
Issued at 236 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

With the cooler air and clearing skies Friday night, some low
temperatures in the 30s and frost will be possible across central
Wisconsin. The weekend then looks quiet with upper level zonal
flow and surface high pressure in place. Upper level troughing
then looks to move across the Upper Midwest early next week that
will push a cold front through with a chance for more rain from
Monday afternoon through Tuesday. There will then be some more
chances for rain Wednesday into Thursday as more upper level
troughing looks to impact the region.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday evening)
Issued at 600 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

Line of strong (potentially severe) storms to roll west-east across
the area this evening. Strong/gusty winds will swing from the south
to west later tonight, holding there through the better part of
Friday.

Cigs: dropping into mvfr/ifr with line of storms, with saturation
post the cold front/satellite imagery keeping the TAF sites under
the low clouds into Friday afternoon.

Winds: winds on the increase as pressure gradient tightens ahead of
approaching sfc low. Winds swing to the west/northwest later tonight
with the passage of systems's cold front - staying strong and gusty
through Friday afternoon. Some threat for LLWS for this evening -
somewhat border line and only for a few hours - but will continue
mention at KLSE where threat higher.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 236 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

While there may still be some minor flooding issues ongoing across
Fayette, Clayton and Grant Counties, reports indicate the impact
are minimal and the areal flood warning will be discontinued.
Runoff from last night rains has caused some river rises with
active flood warnings along portions of Turtle Creek and the
Turkey and Kickapoo Rivers. See the latest flood statements for
the latest information.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...04
LONG TERM...04
AVIATION...Rieck
HYDROLOGY...04
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 20, 12:20 PM CDT, 10 hours 8 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1220 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-
032>034-041>044-053>055-061-211200-
Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette-
Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston-
Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-
Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant-
1220 PM CDT Thu Sep 20 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for parts of northeast Iowa,
southeast Minnesota, and southwest into central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

Some area rivers are or will return to flood level, especially in
northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

Severe storms are still expected later this afternoon into the
evening hours. The main threats are damaging wind, hail, and
brief heavy rain, but some of the stronger storms will have a
tornado potential. Likely storm time is between 5 and 10 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed in some areas this
afternoon and evening. If a tornado watch is in place and storms
are approaching, assume spotters will be needed.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

No webinar is scheduled. Please see our Situation Report updates
and ensure dispatch centers are ready for increased work load
expected this evening.

Shea

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 20, 9:31 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 20, 9:33 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Sep 20, 9:54 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 20, 10:04 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
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Local storm report, Sep 20, 10:11 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Sep 20, 10:28 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1028 PM CDT THU SEP 20 2018

IAZ030-WIZ042>044-053>055-061-210500-
Clayton-Juneau-Richland-Vernon-Adams-Crawford-Monroe-Grant-
1028 PM CDT THU SEP 20 2018

...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST IOWA...

At 1022 PM CDT, radar indicated strong thunderstorms along a line
extending from central Wisconsin near Wisconsin Rapids in central
Wisconsin...to Prairie Du Chien...to near Edgewood Iowa. Movement
was east at 40 mph.

Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible with these storms.

These storms will continue to move southeast and be out of the
area by midnight.

Take shelter if these storms approach your area.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They can relay your report to the National Weather Service
office in La Crosse.

LAT...LON 4264 9071 4268 9090 4265 9090 4265 9149
      4425 9005 4425 8960 4364 8960 4364 9031
      4355 9031 4355 9019 4317 9019 4321 9029
      4320 9043 4251 9042 4251 9064
TIME...MOT...LOC 0322Z 282DEG 35KT 4423 8996 4258 9144

Baumgardt

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 20, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo56 min
Sep 20, 7:50 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXBuffalo, Trempealeau85 min
Sep 20, 7:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo, Trempealeau37 min
Sep 20, 8:37 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXClark, Taylor68 min
Sep 20, 8:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClark40 min
Sep 20, 9:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXAdams, Crawford, Grant, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse and 3 more93 min
Sep 20, 9:19 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningARXRichland, Vernon68 hr
Sep 20, 9:54 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXMonroe51 min
Sep 21, 2:51 PM CDTFrost AdvisoryARXClark, Jackson, Monroe, Taylor17 hr
Sep 20, 7:18 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementARXFloyd, Mitchell72 min
Sep 20, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXHoward, Mitchell47 min
Sep 20, 8:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXHoward42 min
Sep 21, 4:14 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningARXFloyd46 hr
Sep 21, 6:03 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningARXWinneshiek22 hr
Sep 20, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningARXWabasha32 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Wisconsin, 2018Every special weather statement in 2018

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.