Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 24, NWS Pueblo, CO

July 31, 1986Bent County, Prowers County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 1986, 7:12 PM MDT for Bent County, Prowers County, Colorado. It was in force for 58 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 31, 1986, 7:12 PM MDT (01:12 UTC)
Expired
Jul 31, 1986, 8:10 PM MDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bent County, CO, Prowers County, CO

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 31, 7:30 PM MDTHail 1.5Prowers, CO

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 217 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1986-08-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 855 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1986-08-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
855 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-78 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2151 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KPUB 010111
SVRPUB
COC101-COC089-COC071-COC099-010112-

BULLETIN...IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
712 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 810 PM MDT  FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

SOUTHEAST COLORADO...PUEBLO..OTERO..BENT AND PROWERS INCLUDING THE
COMMUNITIES OF LA JUNTA..ROCKY FORD..SWINK..LAS ANIMAS AND LAMAR.

RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTHWEST PUEBLO
COUNTY TO SOUTHERN BENT COUNTY. THE MOST SEVERE EXTEND FROM 20 TO 45
MILES SOUTHEAST OF LA JUNTA AND WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH
AND SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES OF LAMAR..LAS ANIMAS BY 730 PM
MDT.

VERY HEAVY RAIN..STRONG GUSTY WIND..LARGE HAIL..AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING
ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
IMMEDIATELY..AND YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
TO RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.
CASEY

What forecasters said that day

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 2:21 PM MDT, 4 hours 51 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
219 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER ON JULY 31, 1986

1400Z  3 MILES SOUTH OF HUGO COLORADO IN LINCOLN COUNTY REPORTED
       B'ASEBALL SIZED HAIL THAT BROKE WINDOWS..DAMAGED ROOFS AND
       AUTOMOBILES.  THIS REPORT NOT RECEIVED AT THE NWS IN COS
       UNTIL 31/2000Z
MOORE
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 3:42 PM MDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
342 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

      ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY...

AT 340 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTH OF
KIM IN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO MOVING TO THE EAST
AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER
SOUTHEAST COLORADO THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS..SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE.
HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. PEOPLE
NEAR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.
CASEY
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:25 PM MDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS CO
515 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO
    UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 515 PM THIS THURSDAY EVENING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN
NORTH ELBERT COUNTY COLORADO AND IN SOUTH CENTRAL EL PAST COUNTY
COLORADO ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS.  THESE
STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR.  HEAVY
RAIN COULD PRODUCE SOME LOCAL FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW
LYING AREAS.  THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME SMALL HAIL WITH THESE STORMS.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN PART OF
EL PASO COUNTY HAS EXPIRED.  SEVERAL REPORTS OF ONE INCH HAIL WERE
RECEIVED AS THE STORM MOVED OVER THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS.
STAYED TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..T.V. STATIONS OR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RADIO STATION FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARMINGS THAT
MAY BE REQUIRED.
HUBER
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:25 PM MDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
525 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN LAS ANIMAS AND BACA COUNTIES...

AT 522 PM MDT RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAINS IN EASTERN LAS ANIMAS AND BACA COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO.
THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 16 MILES WEST OF SPRINGFIELD COLORADO IN
BACA COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST
COLORADO THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS..SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE. HAIL..
BRIEF HEAVY RAINS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. PEOPLE NEAR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.
CASEY
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 6:28 PM MDT, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS CO
625 PM MDT THU JUL 31 1986

 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO
          UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING...

AT 620 PM THIS THURSDAY EVENING HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN
NORTH ELBERT COUNTY COLORADO AND IN SOUTH CENTRAL EL PAST COUNTY
COLORADO ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS.  THESE
STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.  HEAVY
RAIN COULD PRODUCE SOME LOCAL FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW
LYING AREAS.  THERE MAY ALSO BE SOME SMALL HAIL WITH THESE STORMS.

STAYED TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..T.V. STATIONS OR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE RADIO STATION FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMEzNTS OR WARMINGS THAT
MAY BE REQUIRED.
HAVILL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 31, 6:20 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBBaca, Las Animas57 min
Jul 31, 6:20 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBOtero57 min
Jul 31, 7:12 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBOtero, Pueblo58 min
Jul 31, 7:45 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBCrowley60 min
Aug 1, 4:10 PM MDTTornado WarningPUBBaca60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.