Alert archive / Wyoming / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Cheyenne, WY

May 24, 1990Laramie County, Wyoming

NWS Cheyenne, WY issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1990, 4:49 PM MDT for Laramie County, Wyoming. It was in force for 56 min. 3 reports 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 24, 1990, 4:49 PM MDT (22:49 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 1990, 5:45 PM MDT
In force
56 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 24, 5:30 PM MDTHail 1.75Laramie, WY
May 24, 5:45 PM MDTTornado F1Laramie, WY
May 24, 5:55 PM MDTTornado F2Laramie, WY

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, 10.8 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 242250
TORCYS
WYC021-242345-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
449 PM MDT THU MAY 24 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHEYENNE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING
          ...NORTHEASTERN LARAMIE
 
AT 445 PM MDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 25 MILES NORTHEAST
OF CHEYENNE. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS WARNING DOES INCLUDE THE TOWN OF ALBIN.
 
THIS WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT WAS
EARLIER IN EFFECT.  ALSO...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
8 PM MDT.
 
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.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
EKB

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, 12:14 PM MDT, 4 hours 35 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, 3 hours 49 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, 3 hours 19 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, 2 hours 25 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, 2 hours 18 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
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:10 PM MDT, 39 minutes before
NEZ001-005-011-242300-

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

...TORNADO WATCH 308 FOR PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTH NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE UNTIL 700 PM MDT...
...TORNADO WATCH 309 FOR THE SOUTH NEBRASKA PANHANDLE UNTIL 800 PM MDT...

AT 405 PM MDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE WEST
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SCOTTSBLUFF NEBRASKA TO
50 MILES WEST OF CHADRON NEBRASKA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED
OVER THE EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE PANHANDLE...OR 50 MILES WEST OF
CHADRON NEBRASKA.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORM
OVER THE WEST OF CHADRON UNTIL 500 PM MDT.

TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM MDT OVER ALL BUT GARDEN
AND SHERIDAN COUNTIES OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTH NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...
AND OVER THE SOUTHERN BORDER COUNTIES OF THE PANHANDLE UNTIL 800 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, 2:50 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSLaramie25 min
May 24, 3:18 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie42 min
May 24, 4:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSGoshen, Laramie62 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.