Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2024

Tornado Warning 21, NWS Milwaukee, WI

May 21, 2024Columbia County, Sauk County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2024, 7:10 PM CDT for Columbia County, Sauk County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 35 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
May 21, 2024, 7:10 PM CDT (00:10 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2024, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

Counties Columbia County, WI, Sauk County, WI

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 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
May 21, 7:28 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 Nne Prairie Du Sac, WIA swath of significant tree damage from the golf course northeast to a nearby subdivision. About a dozen large trees uprooted. Some trees snapped at various heights from the trunk. Many branches snapped off trees.

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
May 21, 3:58 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 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 00:00Z on 2024-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 442 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 00:00Z on 2024-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 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
442 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-98 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1016 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

645 
WFUS53 KMKX 220010
TORMKX
WIC021-111-220045-
/O.NEW.KMKX.TO.W.0021.240522T0010Z-240522T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
710 PM CDT Tue May 21 2024

The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Columbia County in south central Wisconsin...
  Eastern Sauk County in south central Wisconsin...

* Until 745 PM CDT.

* At 710 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 7 miles northwest of Prairie Du Sac, moving northeast
  at 60 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Baraboo, Prairie Du Sac, Sauk City, Wisconsin Dells, Lake
  Wisconsin, Lake Delton, West Baraboo, Bluffview, North Freedom,
  Merrimac, Rock Springs, Harmony Grove, Interstate 90/94
  Interchange, Okee, and Devils Lake St Park.

Other landmarks included are the following Locations Mirror Lake
State Park and Gibraltar Rock Natural Area County Park.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4362 8980 4346 8936 4329 8970 4329 8971
      4328 8972 4319 8991 4320 8995 4341 9003
TIME...MOT...LOC 0010Z 218DEG 53KT 4334 8987 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

BOXELL
1 follow-up statement
546 
WWUS53 KMKX 220034
SVSMKX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
734 PM CDT Tue May 21 2024

WIC021-111-220045-
/O.CON.KMKX.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-240522T0045Z/
Columbia WI-Sauk WI-
734 PM CDT Tue May 21 2024

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN COLUMBIA AND EASTERN SAUK COUNTIES...

At 733 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 7 miles northwest of Portage, moving northeast at 60 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Baraboo, Prairie Du Sac, Sauk City, Wisconsin Dells, Lake Wisconsin,
Lake Delton, West Baraboo, Bluffview, North Freedom, Merrimac, Rock
Springs, Harmony Grove, Interstate 90/94 Interchange, Okee, and
Devils Lake St Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4362 8980 4346 8936 4329 8970 4329 8971
      4328 8972 4319 8991 4328 8992 4351 8992
TIME...MOT...LOC 0033Z 218DEG 53KT 4362 8957 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

BOXELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Dane, Green, Sauk56 min
May 21, 7:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDane, Iowa23 min
May 21, 7:18 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXColumbia, Dane, Iowa, Sauk42 min
May 21, 7:28 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXColumbia, Green Lake, Marquette, Sauk47 min
May 21, 7:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXDane, Green, Iowa, Lafayette64 min
May 21, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXColumbia, Dane, Green Lake, Marquette73 min
May 21, 7:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXDane, Jefferson, Rock39 min
May 21, 7:52 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXColumbia, Dane, Dodge38 min
May 21, 7:56 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXGreen, Lafayette34 min
May 21, 7:58 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDane32 min
May 21, 8:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXColumbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette and 1 more56 min
May 21, 8:11 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXFond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette34 min
May 21, 8:18 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDodge, Fond du Lac42 min
May 21, 8:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXIowa, Sauk38 min
May 21, 8:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXDane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, Rock, Waukesha71 min
May 21, 8:41 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXFond du Lac34 min
May 21, 8:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Green, Iowa, Lafayette46 min
May 21, 8:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXRock, Walworth28 min
May 21, 8:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Green Lake, Marquette, Sauk23 min
May 21, 8:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Washington46 min
May 21, 9:00 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXFond du Lac, Sheboygan30 min
May 21, 9:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXFond du Lac27 min
May 21, 9:10 PM CDTGale WarningMKX9 hr
May 21, 9:10 PM CDTSmall Craft AdvisoryMKX22 hr
May 21, 9:11 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMKX2 hr
May 21, 9:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXJefferson, Waukesha32 min
May 21, 9:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatMKXFond du Lac, Sheboygan38 min
May 21, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Green47 min
May 21, 9:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMKXGreen30 min
May 21, 9:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXColumbia, Dane, Dodge36 min
May 21, 10:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXGreen, Rock50 min
May 21, 10:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Dodge, Jefferson46 min
May 21, 10:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Dodge, Jefferson, Rock50 min
May 21, 10:40 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDane, Jefferson19 min
May 21, 10:45 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDane, Jefferson, Rock30 min
May 21, 10:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDane, Jefferson, Rock42 min
May 21, 11:32 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMKX118 min
May 21, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXJefferson, Walworth, Waukesha42 min
May 21, 11:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXRacine, Walworth, Waukesha43 min
May 22, 12:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXMilwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha31 min
May 22, 12:28 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMKXMilwaukee, Racine32 min
May 22, 11:35 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningMKXSauk69 hr
May 22, 5:10 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMKXIowa35 min
May 22, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXIowa, Sauk29 min
May 22, 6:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMKXIowa31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 2024Every tornado warning in 2024Tornadoes in 2024

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.