On this date back in 1950, Milwaukee had a 90mph wind gust, a record for the city. There is an update on the Columbia County tornado from a week ago Friday. I was actually shocked with the report that said the tornado was only on the ground for 4 miles. Further investigation at the site now indicates two tornadoes. A brief F0 tornado spun up near Wyocena and damaged just a few trees. The second was the F1 that caused the significant damage, but it was not on the ground for 4 miles. It skipped across the countryside for 27 miles.

I am always amazed at how many people are confused about severe weather. What makes a storm severe and what is the difference between a watch and a warning? A thunderstorm is classified as severe when winds are 58mph or greater and/or hail at least ¾” in diameter which is about the size of a penny. Heavy rain and lightning do not make a storm severe, but tornadoes do.

A severe thunderstorm watch is issued by the National Weather Service a few hours before storms begin to develop to give you a heads up. Conditions are favorable for storms to develop. Go about your business, but watch out. A severe thunderstorm warning is issued when a storm reaches the above criteria. It is happening in your area now so take shelter immediately.