Alert archive / Wyoming / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Cheyenne, WY

May 24, 1990Laramie County, Wyoming

NWS Cheyenne, WY issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1990, 2:50 PM MDT for Laramie County, Wyoming. It was in force for 25 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 24, 1990, 2:50 PM MDT (20:50 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 1990, 3:15 PM MDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Cheyenne, WY
Area
Whole counties

County Laramie County, WY

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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 202 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 1990-05-24Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 1990-05-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 12 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
1956 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
12 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 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 KCYS 242051
TORCYS
WYC021-242115-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
250 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHEYENNE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING
          ...NORTH CENTRAL LARAMIE
          ...SOUTHERN GOSHEN
 
AT 245 PM MDT A TORNADO WAS SPOTTED 30 MILES NORTH OF CHEYENNE...
OR 10 MILES EAST OF HORSE CREEK. THE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE
TORNADO WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EASTERN
WYOMING TIL 700 PM MDT.
WEILAND

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, May 24, 9:17 AM MDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
WYZALL-241700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
915 AM MDT THU MAY 24 1990

...A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS THE OUTLOOK FOR
NORTHEAST WYOMING THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL ENGULF
WESTERN WYOMING TODAY. SOME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN FAR
WESTERN WYOMING AND IDAHO THIS MORNING AND WILL BRING THE RISK FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM TO NORTHEAST WYOMING BY THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING.

UNSTABLE AIR BY THIS AFTERNOON COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...
HAIL AND STRONG WINDS FROM SHERIDAN IN NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING TO
CHEYENNE IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE.

ADDITIONALLY...STRONG WINDS AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM WILL OCCUR. SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR ARE EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF
WYOMING TODAY.

SGS
Special weather statement, May 24, 12:14 PM MDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
WYZALL-242000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1215 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST WYOMING AND EXTREME
EASTERN WYOMING THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
INTO CENTRAL WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD
CONTAIN BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF THIS
COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM SHERIDAN
IN NORTH CENTRAL WYOMING TO CHEYENNE IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER
OF THE STATE.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD STAY TUNED TO LOCAL
RADIO AND TV OR USE THEIR NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVERS TO KEEP UP
TO DATE ON WATCHES AND WARNINGS WHICH WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS
AFTERNOON FOR NORTHEAST AND EXTREME EASTERN WYOMING.

SGS
Special weather statement, May 24, 1:00 PM MDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
WYZ006-012-242000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1255 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990

A TORNADO WATCH AREA HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF
WYOMING UNTIL 7PM MDT THIS THURSDAY EVENING.

THE WATCH AREA INCLUDES THE CITIES OF GILLETTE...NEWCASTLE...
DOUGLAS...LUSK...WHEATLAND AND TORRINGTON.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN THE AREA NEAR THE
NOON HOUR.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHQOULD STAY TUNED TO LOCAL
RADIO AND TV OR USE THEIR NOAA WEATHER RADIO RECEIVERS TO KEEP UP
TO DATE ON THIS TORNADO WATCH AREA THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND
INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

SGS
Special weather statement, May 24, 1:30 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
WYZ012-242030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
125 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990

NEAR 120 PM WEATHER RADAR AND SATELLITE PHOTOS INDICATED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHEATLAND IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES
AN HOUR AND WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OF WHEATLAND IN PLATTE COUNTY.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING EARLY
THIS AFTERNO{ON.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PLATTE AND GOSHEN COUNTIES
ALONG WITH NORTHEAST WYOMING UNTIL 7 PM MDT.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.

SGS
Special weather statement, May 24, 2:24 PM MDT, 26 minutes before
NEZ001-005-242230

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SCOTTSBLUFF NE
225 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 700 PM MDT FOR PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTH
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...

AT 225 PM MDT...ONLY A FEW ISOLATED RAINSHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER THE
NORTHEAST NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SOUTHEAST OF GORDON NEBRASKA.  THERE
HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE UP
UNTIL 225 PM MDT.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE HOWEVER OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING...NEAR
WHEATLAND AND 30 MILES NORTH OF CHEYENNE WYOMING.  THESE STORMS
DO NOT POSE A THREAT TO THE PANHANDLE OF NEBRASKA AT THIS TIME.

A TORNADO WATCH DOES REMAIN IN EFFECT OVER PARTS OF THE NEBRASKA
PANHANDL4E UNTIL 700 PM MDT...AND YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR RADIO
AND TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
WIRTH
Special weather statement, May 24, 2:31 PM MDT, 19 minutes before
NEZ002-242130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VALENTINE NE
ISSUED BY SCOTTSBLUFF NE
230 PM MDT WED MAY 24 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM BUILDING OVER NORTHCENTRAL NEBRASKA...

AT 225 PM MDT...AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED OVER
SOUTHWEST CHERRY COUNTY IN NORTHCENTRAL NEBRASKA.  THE STORM WAS
LOCATED 55 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALLIANCE NEBRASKA...OR 70 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF VALENTINE NEBRASKA.  THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAAST AT 30 MILES AN
HOUR.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM UNTIL
330 PM MDT.

WIRTH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cheyenne, WY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 2:00 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSPlatte45 min
May 24, 2:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie, Platte55 min
May 24, 3:18 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie42 min
May 24, 4:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie62 min
May 24, 4:49 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSLaramie56 min
May 24, 5:46 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wyoming, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990

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.