Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 67, NWS Goodland, KS

August 2, 1994Elbert County, Colorado

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Aug 2, 1994, 4:34 PM MDT for Elbert County, Colorado. It was in force for 26 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 2, 1994, 4:34 PM MDT (22:34 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 1994, 5:00 PM MDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Elbert County, CO

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Carson/Butt, CO (KFCS), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 83 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, Fort Carson/Butt, CO at 12:00Z on 1994-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 22 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Fort Carson/Butt, CO at 12:00Z on 1994-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 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
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1335 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-8 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 KCOS 022236
TORCOS
COC039-022300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS CO
434 PM MDT TUE AUG 2 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLORADO SPRINGS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM MDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
 
   ...SOUTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY
 
AT 434 PM MDT... DOPPLER RADAR IN DENVER INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO
6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELIZABETH IN ELBERT COUNTY OR 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF
COLORADO SPRINGS. THIS STORM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR
ELIZABETH. THIS STORM IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AND HOUR.
 
 
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.
 
 
 
&

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.

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Aug 2, 2:20 PM MDT, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 2:20 PM MDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
220 PM MDT (320 PM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

RECOMMENDATIONS: TOP...OMA...DEN...RCMD MOSTLY SNY SKIES AND NO MENTION
OF TSTM POPS ON WED FOR ALL OF THE CWA W OF NORTON AND GRAHAM COUNTIES.

DISCUSSION:  SUPPLEMENTAL OBS SHO NLY WNDS OVR THE WRN PTN OF THE CWA
AND EASTERLY WNDS IN THE E.  THE BNDRY SEPERATING THESE DIRECTIONS HAS
SHOWN SOME SIGNS OF BACKING UP TWD GLD.  THIS IS SUPPORTED BY MOANS
WHICH HAS ALSO INDCD A GD AREA OF MOISTURE FLUX CNVGNCE SLWLY MOVING W
TWD THE CO BDR.  AS A RESULT ...FEEL RELUCTANT TO ASK FOR MANY CHGS ON
PD 1 ATTM DESPITE THE SHRT RANGE GUIDANCE WKNG THE SHRT WV OVR THE AREA.

NGM SEEMS TO BE THE BEST MODEL OF CHOICE FOR OUR CWA DUE TO ITS GREATER
DETAIL OF SHRT WV FEATURES AND ITS NOT BAD HANDLING OF YDAS FEATURES.
WITH THIS IN MIND...FEEL THAT WE CAN DROP THE MENTION OF TSTMS W OF THE
WRN NORTON-GRAHAM COUNTY LN ON WED AS THE GRIDDED DATA INDCS DRIER AND
MORE STABLE AIR OVR MOST OF THE CWA DURG THIS PD.  E OF THE LN...RCMD
KEEPING PTLY SNY SKIES AND A 20 PCT CHC OF TSTMS.

GLD   60/85 41   HLC  65/88 52
CBK   62/86 51   MCK  63/87 51
TRB   61/86 51   5C0  59/85 41

VJN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 2, 10:37 AM MDT, 5 hours 57 minutes before
COZ090>092-NEZ079>081-KSZ001>005-013>017-027>029-041-042-030315-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1037 AM MDT (1137 AM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES

CHEYENNE CO   CHEYENNE KS   DECATUR KS     DUNDY NE        GOVE KS
GRAHAM KS     GREELEY KS    HITCHCOCK NE   KIT CARSON CO   LOGAN KS
NORTON KS     PHILLIPS KS   RAWLINS KS     RED WILLOW NE   ROOKS KS
SHERIDAN KS   SHERMAN KS    THOMAS  KS     WALLACE KS      WICHITA KS
YUMA CO

SYNOPSIS:

MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL LIKELY TRIGGER THUNDERSTORMS DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE ADVENT OF SOME
SUNSHINE AND THE ARRIVAL OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES.

SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH TORRENTIAL RAINS AND POSSIBLE
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.  AS A RESULT...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY
BE REQUIRED.

VJN
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 1:44 PM MDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
COZ090>092-NEZ079>081-KSZ001>005-013>017-027>029-041-042-022100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
143 PM MDT (243 PM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

...A NEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAS FORMED OVER NORTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY
OF KANSAS...

AT 140 PM MDT (240 PM CDT)...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A NEW
THUNDERSTORM NEAR WOODRUFF AND LONG ISLAND IN NORTHWEST PHILLIPS
COUNTY.  THIS STORM IS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

OVER THE NEXT HOUR...THIS STORM WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HEAVY DOWNPOURS
...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING TO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF
PHILLIPS COUNTY.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SHORTLY FORM OR MOVE INTO NORTHWEST
KANSAS AS WELL AS EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND EASTERN COLORADO.  A
FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE OR PRODUCE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS
WITH POSSIBLE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

VJN
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 2:44 PM MDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
COZ090>092-NEZ079>081-KSZ001>005-013>017-027>029-041-042-022200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
243 PM MDT (343 PM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

AT 240 PM MDT (340 PM CDT)...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST PHILLIPS COUNTY EXPANDING WESTWARD INTO
NORTHEAST NORTON COUNTY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO
WERE ALSO CROSSING OVER THE NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY LINE.

NONE OF THESE STORMS WERE PARTICULARLY STRONG BUT STILL MAY BE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS VERY
SLOW TOWARD THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

OVER THE NEXT HOUR...OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SHORTLY FORM
OR MOVE INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS AS WELL AS EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND
EASTERN COLORADO.  A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.  ALSO...
DUE TO THE EXPECTED SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...VERY HEAVY RAINS ARE
POSSIBLE ALONG WITH URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

VJN
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 3:41 PM MDT, 53 minutes before
COZ090>092-NEZ079>081-KSZ001>005-013>017-027>029-041-042-022255-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
341 PM MDT (441 PM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

AT 335 PM MDT (445 PM CDT)...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED WIDELY
SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER OPEN COUNTRY IN NORTHWEST KIT
CARSON AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES OF COLORADO.  OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE NEAR VERNON IN YUMA COUNTY COLORADO AS WELL AS NEAR STRATTON IN
HITCHCOCK COUNTY NEBRASKA AND OVER OPEN COUNTRY NEAR THE SOUTH WICHITA
COUNTY BORDER.  MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

OVER THE NEXT HOUR...MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM OR SLOWLY
MOVE INTO THE REGION.  A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.
OTHERWISE...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT MAY CAUSE
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

IF URBAN OR SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED
QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

VJN
Special weather statement, Aug 2, 3:44 PM MDT, 50 minutes before
COZ090>092-NEZ079>081-KSZ001>005-013>017-027>029-041-042-022255-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST...CORRECTED FOR TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
341 PM MDT (441 PM CDT) TUE AUG 2 1994

AT 335 PM MDT (435 PM CDT)...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED WIDELY
SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER OPEN COUNTRY IN NORTHWEST KIT
CARSON AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES OF COLORADO.  OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE NEAR VERNON IN YUMA COUNTY COLORADO AS WELL AS NEAR STRATTON IN
HITCHCOCK COUNTY NEBRASKA AND OVER OPEN COUNTRY NEAR THE SOUTH WICHITA
COUNTY BORDER.  MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

OVER THE NEXT HOUR...MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM OR SLOWLY
MOVE INTO THE REGION.  A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.
OTHERWISE...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT MAY CAUSE
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING.

IF URBAN OR SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE TO
ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN
WATER BEGINS RISING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED
QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

VJN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 8:34 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson61 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.