Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 8, 1988Logan County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 8, 1988, 5:35 PM MDT for Logan County, Colorado. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 8, 1988, 5:35 PM MDT (23:35 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 1988, 6:05 PM MDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

County Logan County, CO

The radar

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

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 96 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 12:00Z on 1988-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 748 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 12:00Z on 1988-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 74 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
748 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-152 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1040 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 082337
TORDEN
COC075-090005-
 
BULLETIN...EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
535 PM MDT FRI JUL 08 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 605 PM  MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST COLORADO:
 
     LOGAN
     
 
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TOWNS/CITIES:
 
     ATWOOD..CROOK..FLEMING..ILIFF..PEETZ..STERLING..AND WILLARD
 
THE STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF ILIFF..WHICH IS 7 MILES
NORTH OF STERLING.
 

AT 5305 TORNADOS WERE REPORTED ON THE GROUND NORTHWEST OF STERLING AND
ANOTHER NEAR MARINO.

IN HOMES GO TO THE BASEMENT OR INTO A CLOSET OR
BATHROOM. IN SCHOOLS..HIGH RISES AND HOSPITALS GO TO AN INTERIOR
HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES..
EVACUATE THEM AND GO TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.  IF NO SHELTER
IS AVAILABLE..LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT.
IN ALL CASES..STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS..DOORS AND OUTSIDE WALLS.
 
INTENSE LIGHTNING IS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM.  IF OUTDOORS..
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS.  MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE.  WHEN
INDOORS..STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING
TELEPHONES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.
 
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM.
 
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE
IN DENVER..OR CALL YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
AT 361-0663.  DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER FOR INFORMATION.
 
DUNN
 
LAT..LON  4099 10357 4097 10273 4046 10274 4045 10361

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Jul 8, 1:36 PM MDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
140 PM MDT FRI JUL 8 1988

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR EASTERN FOOTHILLS AREA UNTIL 9PM...
...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 9PM...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE EASTERN FOOTHILLS
AREA OF COLORADO UNTIL 9PM.

AT 130PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING NEAR THE EASTERN FOTHILLS
AND MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE EAST. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE
TWO INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN IN A SHORT TIME. THIS WILL CAUSE FLASH
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS IN THE WATCH AREA...AS WELL AS SEVERELY
IMPACTING ROADS...UNDERPASSES AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR SWIFT MOVING CURRENTS IN SMALL STREAMS...WITH
OVERBANK CONDITIONS IN SOME LOCATIONS. MOTORISTS IN PARTICULAR SHOULD
WATCH FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF STANDING WATER ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING
AREAS.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WATCH AREA UNTI 9PM THIS
EVENING. LARGE HAIL...STRONG WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES MAY OCCUR IN
IN THE WATCH AREA WITH OR WITHOUT HEAVY RAIN.

TUNNELL
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 3:15 PM MDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
315 PM MDT FRI JUL 8 1988

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND TORNADO WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTINS OF THE EASTERN
FOOTHILLS OF COLORADO UNTIL 9PM. A TORNADO WATCH IS STILL IN EFFECT
FOR MUCH OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 9PM.

A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED NEAR KIOWA AROUND 2PM AND LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINS HAVE OCCURRED IN PARTS OF THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA...AS WELL
AS AREAS OF DOUGLAS...EL PASO...AND KIOWA COUNTIES. HEAVIEST
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT 315PM WAS IN ELBERT COUNTY WITH STRONG
STORMS ALSO IN EASTERN ADAMS AND EASTERN ARAPAHOE COUNTIES. THESE
STORMS WERE ALMOST STATIONARY.

A DISTURBANCE  MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE WEST IS EXPECTED TO
INCREASE THUNDERSTORM AND HEAVY RAIN ACTIVITY LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
TUNNELL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 7, 6:14 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWeld31 min
Jul 7, 7:04 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULarimer, Weld61 min
Jul 7, 7:17 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWeld58 min
Jul 8, 3:49 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe31 min
Jul 8, 5:11 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan, Morgan, Washington59 min
Jul 8, 5:17 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams33 min
Jul 8, 5:53 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988

Sources

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