× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Warm weather can bring plenty of smiles to Wisconsinites who suffered through a long hard winter, but the nice weather can turn nasty, even deadly, if tornadoes strike.

To keep Wisconsin on its collective toes, a statewide tornado drill is set for Thursday at 1:45 p.m., during Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Wisconsin Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association are working together on the drill, which will begin at 1 p.m. with a mock tornado watch followed by the mock tornado warning and drill at 1:45 p.m.

If real thunderstorms develop on Thursday, the drill will be postponed to Friday at the same time.

Many local and state radio, TV and cable outlets will participate, giving a message indicating "This is a test" for about a minute.

Minnesota is also conducting the drill at the same time as Wisconsin, according to a news release from Wisconsin Emergency Management.

Many communities (including Dane County) will sound the outdoor warning sirens during the drill.

While Wisconsin is not the most tornado-hit state, hundreds of twisters have hit the Badger State since records started being kept in 1844.