Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

March 8, 1992Arapahoe County, Lincoln County, Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Mar 8, 1992, 3:55 PM MST for Arapahoe County, Lincoln County, Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 35 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
Mar 8, 1992, 3:55 PM MST (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Mar 8, 1992, 4:30 PM MST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Arapahoe County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Washington County, CO

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 8, 4:06 PM MSTTornado F0Washington, 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 54 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 1992-03-08Temperature 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 1992-03-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1109 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
110 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 082301
TORDEN
COC039-073-005-121-082330-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
355 PM MST SUN MAR 08 1992

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM MST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
     NORTHEASTERN ELBERT AND NORTH CENTRAL LINCOLN

IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
     EAST CENTRAL ARAPAHOE AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     BUICK...AGATE

AT 355 PM MST...PUBLIC LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REPORTED A 
TORNADO 16 MILES NORTH OF LIMON.  

THE TORNADO WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH NORTHWEST
AT 20 MPH.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT.  GET
UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.  IF NO
BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE
BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET.  USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.

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

LAT...LON 3938 10351 3937 10386 3968 10387 3969 10354

DULONG

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, Mar 8, 11:14 AM MST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
COZALL-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1115 AM MST SUN MAR 8 1992

...BIG WINTER STORM STILL CHURNING TOWARD COLORADO...

A WINTER STORM WAS CENTERED A LITTLE WEST OF THE FOUR-CORNERS JUST
BEFORE NOON.  HEAVY SNOW WAS FALLING THROUGH PARTS OF THE FOUR-CORNERS
AND THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.  AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WERE ALSO
NOTED ACROSS THE REST OF THE WEST SLOPE...GRADUALLY SPREADING INTO THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.  THE ARRIVAL OF AN ARCTIC FRONT EARLY
TONIGHT IN NORTHEAST COLORADO WILL CREATE NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH
AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS NORTHWARD
TO A LITTLE SOUTH OF ASPEN TODAY AND TONIGHT.  SIX TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST BY LATE TONIGHT WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE...
ESPECIALLY WEST FACING SLOPES.

A NUMBER OF SNOW ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT.  THESE INCLUDE THE FOUR-
CORNERS AREA TODAY...THE SAN LUIS VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
AND THE REMAINDER OF THE COLORADO ROCKIES LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.  A
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT ACROSS ALL OF NORTHEAST
COLORADO TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY.  THIS ADVISORY INCLUDES METRO DENVER
AND THE PALMER DIVIDE MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS.  FROM 3
TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE ADVISORY AREAS.

PLAN FOR DRAMATICALLY WORSE WEATHER DEVELOPING LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT
ACROSS COLORADO.  THIS WILL INCLUDE MUCH WETTER...COLDER...AND WINDIER
CONDITIONS.  CHECK THE ROAD AND WEATHER REPORTS BEFORE TRAVELLING.

MCQUEEN
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour 55 minutes before
COZ011>014-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
200 PM MST SUN MAR 8 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS ERUPT IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS EXTREME
NORTHEAST COLORADO.  AT 155 PM MST ONE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN WESTERN LOGAN
COUNTY A LITTLE WEST OF STERLING.  A STRONGER STORM WAS NEAR JULESBURG
IN SEDGEWICK COUNTY.  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL WERE ALSO DEVELOPING IN
WESTERN METRO DENVER AND ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE.  THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON WERE MOVING QUICKLY TO THE NORTH AT ABOUT 30 MPH.

WATCH FOR LIGHTNING AND MAYBE A LITTLE HAIL IN THESE AREAS.  CONDITIONS
ARE FAVORABLE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST COLORADO THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.

IN ADDITION...A REMINDER THAT CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE ACROSS
NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS EVENING.  RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW WITH AREAS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT AND LASTING TIL MONDAY
MORNING.  AT THIS TIME ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
ALTHOUGH UP TO 8 INCHES OR MORE IS POSSIBLE IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
AS WELL AS ANYWHERE NEAR THE WYOMING OR NEBRASKA STATE LINES.  A SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND EARLY
MONDAY FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST COLORADO INCLUDING METRO DENVER.

KEEP LISTENING FOR LATER UPDATES TO THIS FORECAST.

MCQUEEN
Special weather statement, Mar 8, 2:02 PM MST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
COZ011>014-082300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FIRST LINE...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
200 PM MST SUN MAR 8 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS ERUPT IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHEAST
COLORADO.  AT 155 PM MST ONE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN WESTERN LOGAN COUNTY A
LITTLE WEST OF STERLING.  A STRONGER STORM WAS NEAR JULESBURG IN
SEDGEWICK COUNTY.  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL WERE ALSO DEVELOPING IN
WESTERN METRO DENVER AND ALONG THE PALMER DIVIDE.  THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON WERE MOVING QUICKLY TO THE NORTH AT ABOUT 30 MPH.

WATCH FOR LIGHTNING AND MAYBE A LITTLE HAIL IN THESE AREAS.  CONDITIONS
ARE FAVORABLE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST COLORADO THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.

IN ADDITION...A REMINDER THAT CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE ACROSS
NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS EVENING.  RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW WITH AREAS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT AND LASTING TIL MONDAY
MORNING.  AT THIS TIME ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
ALTHOUGH UP TO 8 INCHES OR MORE IS POSSIBLE IN THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS
AS WELL AS ANYWHERE NEAR THE WYOMING OR NEBRASKA STATE <LINES.  A SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND EARLY
MONDAY FOR ALL OF NORTHEAST COLORADO INCLUDING METRO DENVER.

KEEP LISTENING FOR LATER UPDATES TO THIS FORECAST.

MCQUEEN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 8, 3:55 PM MSTTornado WarningBOUElbert35 min
Mar 8, 4:44 PM MSTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe46 min
Mar 8, 4:44 PM MSTTornado WarningBOUMorgan, Weld46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.