Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 22, 1991, 6:45 PM MDT for Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado. It was in force for 45 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 22, 1991, 6:45 PM MDT (00:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 1991, 7:30 PM MDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Arapahoe County, CO, Denver County, CO
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 119 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
- 194 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -17 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2233 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 117 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDEN 230049
TORDEN
COC005-031-035-230130-
BULLETIN...EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
645 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
WESTERN ARAPAHOE...SOUTH CENTRAL DENVER AND EXTREME
NORTHERN DOUGLAS
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TOWNS/CITIES
AURORA AND DENVER
AT 645 PM MDT SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD DEVELOPING ABOUT 9 MILES
SOUTH OF DENVER IN THE C-470 AND QUEBEC AVENUE AREA. RADAR ALSO
INDICATES THE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF A TORNADO OCCURRING.
THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ABOUT 15 MPH.
1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE AREA OF C-470 AND
QUEBEC AVENUES. HEAVY RAIN HAS ALSO CAUSED SOME LOCAL STREET
FLOODING IN THE DENVER METRO 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.
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 ELECTRICAAL EQUIPMENT.
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE IN DENVER.
GCF...WSFO DENVER
LAT...LON 3957 10468 3957 10495 3970 10495 3980 10476What 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 22, 2:41 PM MDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
COZ011-222130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 240 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN LARIMER COUNTY... AT 230PM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF ESTES PARK...ABOUT 25 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF FORT COLLINS. THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION OFFICE AT ESTES PARK REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL WITH THIS STORM. THE STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT HLIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS COULD ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE INDOORS OR TO A SAFE AREA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS STORM. DANKERS
Special weather statement, May 22, 3:27 PM MDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
COZ011-222215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 325 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG THE BIG THOMPSON... AT 315 PM THE THUNDERSTORMS IN LARIMER COUNTY APPEARED TO BE DECREASING IN STRENGTH. THE STORM WAS LOCATED 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT COLLINS. THE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HALF INCH HAIL AT GLEN HAVEN AND PEA SIZE HAIL AT VIRGINIA DALE. THE STORM CONTINUES MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 10 MPH. SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS IN THE POUDRE BASIN AREA COULD HAVE RAPID WATER LEVEL RISES TO NEAR BANKFULL CONDITIONS DUE TO THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION. THE POUDRE RIVER HAS RISEN ABOUT ONE FOOT NEAR FORT COLLINS BUT IS STILL WELL BELOW BANKFULL STAGE. RESIDENTS IN THE VICINITY OF THIS STORM CAN STILL EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE INDOORS OR TO A SAFE AREA. IF YOU ARE NEAR A SMALL STREAM OR CREEK IN THE POUDRE BASIN AND BIG THOMPSON AREAS...WATCH WATER LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS STORM. DANKERS
Special weather statement, May 22, 3:43 PM MDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
COZ011-222230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 340 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN BOULDER COUNTY... AT 330PM MDT A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAS OVER WESTERN BOULDER COUNTY. THE CENTER OF THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF NEDERLAND OR ABOUT 13 MILES WEST OF BOULDER COLORADO. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH ABOUT 15 MPH. HEAVY RAIN AND PEA SIZE HAIL WAS OBSERVED IN ROLLINSVILLE. HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO REPORTED AT NEDERLAND. GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THIS THUNDERSTORM. PERSONS IN WESTERN BOULDER COUNTY ALONG THE PEAK TO PEAK HIGHWAY FROM NEDERLAND NORTH SHOULD MOVE INDOORS TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY TUNED TO NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER FORECASTS AND BULLETINS. END...GCF...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 22, 4:49 PM MDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
COZ011-222330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 450 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ALONG THE FRONT RANGE... AT 450PM MDT THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS FROM SOUTHERN LARIMER COUNTY NEAR THE TOWN OF ALLENSPARK SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN BOULDER AND GILPIN AND CLEAR CREEK COUNTIES. A THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO DETECTED IN NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY 4 MILES NORTH OF GOLDEN. MOST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OF MODERATE INTENSITY BUT THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS ...HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH ABOUT 15 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM CELL WAS NORTH OF ALLENSPARK AND WAS APPROACHING THE TOWN OF ESTES PARK. THIS STORM PRODUCED SOME HEAVY RAIN AND PEA SIZE HAIL IN ALLENSPARK. PEOPLE ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS FROM ESTES PARK SOUTH TO NEAR IDAHO SPRINGS SHOULD BE ALERT AND MOVE INDOORS TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. KEEP AN EYE ON SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AS THEY COULD EXHIBIT RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS TO NEAR BANKFULL CONDITIONS. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESS=ARY. 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF RAIN COULD FALL IN SOME LOCATIONS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. END...GCF...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 22, 5:01 PM MDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
COZ011-012-230000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 500 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN WELD COUNTY... AT 450PM MDT THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN SOUTHERN WELD COUNTY JUST NORTH OF BRIGHTON...ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF DENVER. THESE STORMS...LIKE THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FOOTHILLS...ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. BRIGHTON HAVD SOME LIGHT RAIN AS THE THUNDERSTORM FORMED AND MOVED NORTHWARD. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTH-NORTHEAST ABOUT 15 MPH. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE NECESSARY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. END...DRB...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 22, 5:36 PM MDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
COZ011-012-230045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 535 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1991 ...HEAVY RAIN WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN WELD COUNTY... AT 530PM MDT WELD COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPUTY REPORTED VERY HEAVY RAINS WITH ZERO VISIBILITY BETWEEN PLATTEVILLE AND FORT LUPTON. THESE STORMS ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS WELD COUNTY AT ABOUT 15 MPH. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT PONDING OF WATER CAN OCCUR IN LOW LYING AREAS...SUCH AS UNDERPASSES. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE NECESSARY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. END...DRB...WSFO DENVER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 6:12 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Douglas | 33 min |
| May 22, 6:37 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 68 min |
| May 22, 6:45 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Douglas | 45 min |
| May 22, 7:23 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Morgan, Weld | 67 min |
| May 22, 7:29 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Morgan | 46 min |
| May 23, 1:25 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 35 min |
| May 23, 1:26 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Jefferson | 64 min |
| May 23, 1:58 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Denver, Jefferson | 62 min |
| May 23, 2:01 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 29 min |
| May 23, 2:30 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 45 min |
| May 23, 3:06 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe | 39 min |
| May 23, 3:33 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas | 57 min |
| May 23, 3:45 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe | 30 min |
| May 23, 3:51 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas | 39 min |
| May 23, 4:17 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Arapahoe, Washington | 43 min |
| May 23, 4:25 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 65 min |
| May 23, 5:00 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe, Washington | 60 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991
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.