Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 12, 1989Washington County, Yuma County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 12, 1989, 2:46 PM MDT for Washington County, Yuma County, Colorado. It was in force for 29 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 12, 1989, 2:46 PM MDT (20:46 UTC)
Expired
May 12, 1989, 3:15 PM MDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Washington County, CO, Yuma 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
May 12, 3:20 PM MDTTornado F1Washington, 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 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 38 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 1989-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1989-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -19 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2104 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 122049
TORDEN
COC125-121-122115-
 
BULLETIN...EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
246 PM MDT FRI MAY 12 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 315 PM  MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST COLORADO:
 
     NORTHWEST YUMA
     NORTHEAST WASHINGTON
 
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TOWNS/CITIES:
 
     CLARKVILLE..ECKLEY..OTIS..AND YUMA
 
BETWEEN 220 PM AND 245 PM SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS AND TORNADOES
HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE WARNING AREA.
 
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.
 
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.
 
JLW
LAT..LON  4043 10312 4042 10244 3975 10248 3975 10312<

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989

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.