Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 46, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 25, 1991Adams County, Weld County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 25, 1991, 3:48 PM MDT for Adams County, Weld County, Colorado. It was in force for 27 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
Jul 25, 1991, 3:48 PM MDT (21:48 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 1991, 4:15 PM MDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Adams County, CO, Weld County, CO

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 25, 4:22 PM MDTTornado F0Weld, 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, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 104 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 1991-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 10 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 1991-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 28 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
10 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
820 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 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 252153
TORDEN
COC001-123-252215-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
348 PM MDT THU JUL 25 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
     WESTERN ADAMS AND SOUTHWESTERN THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL WELD

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TOWNS/CITIES
     BRIGHTON...DACONO...FORT LUPTON...FREDERICK...HUDSON...
     KEENESBURG...MEAD...NORTHGLENN...PLATTEVILLE AND
     WESTMINSTER

AT 343 PM MDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO 6 MILES EAST OF FT. LUPTON
...NEAR BARR LAKE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 76.  THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL
REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS OVER WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY.

NO MOVEMENT WAS AVAILABLE ON THESE STORMS...BUT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
MOVEMENT OR DEVELOPMENT IN A WESTERLY OR SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION AT 
15 MPH.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.  IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN
THE NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH
YOUR HANDS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE IN DENVER.

DULONG

LAT...LON 3991 10452 3990 10504 4024 10505 4023 10448

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 25, 12:04 PM MDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before
COZ011-242230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1205PM MDT THU JULY 2 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING ALONG FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER...

AT NOON THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILDING WEST OF DENVER IN BOULDER AND
JEFFERSON COUNTIES AND MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT AROUND 15 MILES AN
HOUR. ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS ARE MOVING FAIRLY RAPIDLY SOME COULD
CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN AND AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR SO AN HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED FROM SOME STORMS. SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO A
POSSIBLITY WITH THE STORMS.

STORMS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AND MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE PLAINS.

FURHER STATEMENTS OR ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED AS REQUIRED.

LET
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 12:15 PM MDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
COZ011-242230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION ON TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1205PM MDT THU JULY 25 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING ALONG FOOTHILLS WEST OF DENVER...

AT NOON THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILDING WEST OF DENVER IN BOULDER AND
JEFFERSON COUNTIES AND MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT AROUND 15 MILES AN
HOUR. ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS ARE MOVING FAIRLY RAPIDLY SOME COULD
CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN AND AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR SO AN HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED FROM SOME STORMS. SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO A
POSSIBLITY WITH THE STORMS.

STORMS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FOR THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AND MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE PLAINS.

FURHER STATEMENTS OR ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED AS REQUIRED.

LET
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 12:44 PM MDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
COZ011-241930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1240PM MDT   THURSDAY   JULY 25 1991

...HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL IN SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY...

AT 1240 PM MDT RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN SOUTHERN
JEFFERSON COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF BUFFALO CREEK OR ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF DENVER.  A SPOTTER IN THE TOWN OF BUFFALO CREEK CONFIRMED THE
THUNDERSTORM AND REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN.  THE SPOTTER
REPORTED THAT 3/4 INCH OF RAIN FELL IN 30 MINUTES.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ALONG THE FOOTHILLS FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE MOVING INTO THE PLAINS.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR FUTURE FORECASTS AND BULLETINS.  BE ALERT
FOR THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL CAUSING SMALL STREAMS
AND CREEKS TO RUN QUITE HIGH.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN OF AN INCH OR SO PER
HOUR COULD CAUSE TRAVELLINBG PROBLEMS BY CAUSING WATER TO POND ON ROADS
ESPECIALLY IN LOW LYING AREAS.  HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO CAUSE SOME ROCK
AND MUD SLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.

END...GCF...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 3:08 PM MDT, 40 minutes before
COZ011-242200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
205 PM MDT THU JULY 25 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHWEST METRO DENVER...

AT 200 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY NEAR ARVADA AND
WESTMINSTER.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

ALL PEOPLE IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE DENVER METRO AREA INCLUDING
ARVADA...WESTMINSTER...THORNTON...NORTHGLENN...COMMERCE CITY AND NORTH
DENVER SHOULD BE ALERT FOR FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM THIS STORM TIL 300 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...UP TO AN INCH AN HOUR...WILL CAUSE LOCAL| FLOODING OF
STREETS AND LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS.  PONDING OF WATER ON STREETS
COULD CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS FOR MOTORISTS.

GARD...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 3:10 PM MDT, 38 minutes before
COZ011-242200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT      ...CORRECT TIMES...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
305 PM MDT THU JULY 25 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHWEST METRO DENVER...

AT 300 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY NEAR ARVADA AND
WESTMINSTER.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

ALL PEOPLE IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE DENVER METRO AREA INCLUDING
ARVADA...WESTMINSTER...THORNTON...NORTHGLENN...COMMERCE CITY AND NORTH
DENVER SHOULD BE ALERT FOR FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM THIS STORM TIL 400 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...UP TO AN INCH AN HOUR...WILL CAUSE LOCAL FLOODING OF
STREETS AND LOW LYING OR FLOOD PRONE AREAS.  PONDING OF WATER ON STREETS
COULD CAUSE TRAVEL PROBLEMS FOR MOTORISTS.

GARD...WSFO DENVER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 3:28 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Weld32 min
Jul 25, 3:49 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Denver26 min
Jul 25, 4:09 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUBoulder, Weld36 min
Jul 25, 4:09 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams36 min
Jul 25, 4:39 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWeld36 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.