Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Pueblo, CO
NWS Pueblo, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1987, 9:34 PM MDT for Bent County, Colorado. It was in force for 41 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
- May 20, 1987, 9:34 PM MDT (03:34 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 1987, 10:15 PM MDT
- In force
- 41 min
- Issued by
- NWS Pueblo, CO
- Area
- Whole counties
County Bent 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 9:55 PM MDT | Hail 1.75 | Bent, 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, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 213 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 349 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -40 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 886 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 78 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 1.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KPUB 210334 SVRPUB COC011-210415- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 934 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST COLORADO...NORTHWEST BENT THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TOWNS AND CITIES... LAS ANIMAS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST BENT COUNTY FROM OTERO COUNTY. THE STORM HAD PREVIOUSLY DROPPED HAIL ONE INCH OR LARGER IN DIAMETER IN OTHER COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN OTERO COUNTY... ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINS. IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO TO A STURDY SHELTER AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER LOW AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OF OVER 60 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINS THAT CAN QUICKLY FLOOD A LOW LYING AREA. A LONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALLS AND HAIL...LOCAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS IS POSSIBLE. THE ARKANSAS RIVER HAS BEEN RUNNING NEAR TO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND THE ADDED WATER CAN BE EXPECTED TO FURTHER SWELL THE RIVER AND NEARBY STREAMS. RAY
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
Special weather statement, May 20, 6:17 PM MDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 615 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1987 ...EXTREMELY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHERN PUEBLO COUNTY... AT 610 PM MDT AN EXTREMELY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN NORTHERN PUEBLO COUNTY FROM THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO THE NORTHEAST BORDER. RAIN BEGAN AT PUEBLO MEMORIAL AIRPORT JUST AFTER 6PM THIS EVENING AND PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED BY A RADIO STATION IN DOWNTOWN PUEBLO. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST 5 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF PUEBLO AND IN NORTHERN PUEBLO COUNTY SHOULD MOVE INDOORS IN ORDER AVOID BEING OUTSIDE IN THIS STORM. VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED UNTIL AROUND 7 PM. STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS WHICH WILL BE ISSUED ON THE STORMS IN PUEBLO COUNTY. GRAY
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:15 PM MDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 715 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DROPS HAIL IN PUEBLO... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH PASSED THROUGH THE CITY OF PUEBLO BETWEEN 600 PM AND 7 PM CONTINUED TO MOVE THROUGH EASTERN PUEBLO COUNTY AT 710 PM. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DROPPED HAIL OVER MANY PARTS OF THE CITY. THE LARGEST HAIL REPORTED WAS 11/4 INCH HAIL ON BAXTER ROAD... SOUTH OF PUEBLO MEMORIAL AIRPORT. REPORTS OF 3/4 INCH HAIL WERE RECEIVED FROM AREAS FURTHER SOUTH...ON ST CHARLES MESA. AT PUEBLO MEMORIAL AIRPORT HAIL 1/4 INCH IN DIAMETER FELL FROM 630 PM TO JUST BEFORE 700 PM MDT THIS EVENING. THE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THROUGH EXTREME EASTERN PUEBLO COUNTY AND INTO NORTHERN CROWLEY COUNTY. PEOPLE NEAR THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING NEAR THE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROAxCHES. LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. GRAY
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:53 PM MDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
750 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1987
...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN CROWLEY COUNTY...
A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS IN WESTERN CROWLEY COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST
COLORADO NEAR OLNEY SPRINGS AT 745 PM MDT. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST
20 MPH AND SHOULD AFFECT THE TOWNS OF OLNEY SPRINGS AND ORDWAY UNTIL
AT LEAST 730 PM MDT AND MAY MOVE INTO OTERO COUNTY BEFORE 8PM MDT.
ANOTHER STORM WAS NORTH OF SUGAR CITY IN NORTHEAST CROWLEY COUNTY...
MOVING EAST 15 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY BEFORE
730 PM MDT.
THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND
HAIL AS THEY DEVELOPED AND MOVED THROUGH PUEBLO COUNTY. PEOPLE NEAR
THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. PEOPLE IN BETWEEN OLNEY
SPRINGS AND ORDWAY SHOULD ESPECIALLY BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF
HAIL IN THEIR AREA.
LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
GRAYSpecial weather statement, May 20, 8:07 PM MDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
750 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1987
...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN CROWLEY COUNTY...
A VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS IN WESTERN CROWLEY COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST
COLORADO NEAR OLNEY SPRINGS AT 745 PM MDT. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST
20 MPH AND SHOULD AFFECT THE TOWNS OF OLNEY SPRINGS AND ORDWAY UNTIL
AT LEAST 830 PM MDT AND MAY MOVE INTO OTERO COUNTY BEFORE 9PM MDT.
ANOTHER STORM WAS NORTH OF SUGAR CITY IN NORTHEAST CROWLEY COUNTY...
MOVING EAST 15 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY BEFORE
830 PM MDT.
THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WIND AND
HAIL AS THEY DEVELOPED AND MOVED THROUGH PUEBLO COUNTY. PEOPLE NEAR
THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. PEOPLE IN BETWEEN OLNEY
SPRINGS AND ORDWAY SHOULD ESPECIALLY BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF
HAIL IN THEIR AREA.
LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
GRAYThe office that day
Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 6:51 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PUB | Pueblo | 39 min |
| May 20, 8:32 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PUB | Otero | 58 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987
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.