Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 74, NWS Goodland, KS

October 1, 1994El Paso County, Colorado

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Oct 1, 1994, 6:58 PM MDT for El Paso County, Colorado. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 1, 1994, 6:58 PM MDT (00:58 UTC)
Expired
Oct 1, 1994, 7:30 PM MDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County El Paso County, CO

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDEN), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 160 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 00:00Z on 1994-10-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 693 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1994-10-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 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
693 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1137 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
208 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCOS 020059
TORCOS
COC041-020130-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLORADO SPRINGS CO
658 PM MDT SAT OCT 1 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLORADO SPRINGS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM MDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
 
   ...NORTHEASTERN EL PASO COUNTY
 
AT 655 PM MDT A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS LOCATED NORTH OF PETERSON AFB
IN EASTERN COLORADO SPRINGS.
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE COLORADO SPRINGS AREA
EXTENDING TO THE NORTHEAST INTO ELKBERT COUNTY COLORADO.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH
 
 
 
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.
 
 
 
&

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 Oct 1, 2:29 PM MDT, 4 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 1, 2:29 PM MDT, 4 hours 29 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
229 PM MDT (329 PM CDT) SAT OCT 1 1994

RECOMMENDATIONS:

FOR NW KS...WOULD GO WITH SMLR GROUPINGS THAT HAVE CURRENTLY.
            MINS ARND 50 NW CORNER TO 50-55 RMNDR OF AREA...50-70%
            CHC TON NE WINDS 10-15 MPH.  MAXES MID 60S NW CORNER TO
            ARND 70 RMNDR...20% WRN PTN(WRN 8 CNTYS) AND 50% RMNDR
            ...MOSTLY CLOUDY...N-NE WND 10-15 MPH.

FOR EXTRM SW NE...ONLY RCMD IS HAVE 40-50 PERCENT POPS THRU TOMR.
FOR ECTNRL CO...CURRENT FCST ON TRACK NO MAJOR RCMDS.

DISCUSSION:

FCST PROBLEM THROUGH TOMORROW IS CHC OF PCPN.  COLLECTIVELY...ALL
THE MODELS HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THE SITN.  HWVR...THERE ARE SOME
MINOR DIFFERENCES BTWN THEM.  BASED ON CURRENT SFC AND SATL ANAL...WOULD
HAVE TO FAVOR THE ETA/AVN SOLN OVR NGM.  BASED ON THE ABV...SFC WNDS
AND LOW LVL MSTR ARE MORE IN LINE WITH THE ETA/AVN.  NGM APPEARS TO HAVE
OVERDONE THOSE TWO ELEMENTS INTO A BETTER UPSLOPE SITN THAN OTHER TWO
MODELS.

AS FAR AS INCMG UPR LOW AND VORT PATTERN...MDLS NOT TOO FAR OFF IN SOLN
THROUGH TOMORROW.  HWVR...NGM THRU THIS AFTN APPEARS TOO SLOW WITH VORT
MAX AND S/W NOW OVR WRN CO AND TOO FAR NORTH WITH LOW POSN NOW OVR
CNTRL WY.  BEYOND THIS AFTN...ALL MODELS VERY SMLR IN UPR AIR PATTERN.

EVEN THOUGH ENTIRE CWA SHOULD HAVE A GOOD SHOT AT PCPN...BASED ON SATL
AND SFC ANAL NE CO AND WRN NE WILL HAVE THE BEST UPSLOPE AND MORE
DIFLUENCE ALOFT.  MOS POPS FOR ENTIRE AREA ARE IN THE BALLPARK.
BOTH ETA/NGM TIME SCTNS START DRYING OUT AREA ARND MIDDAY...AND BASED
ON SFC ANAL AM LEANING TWRD THE FASTER DRYING TREND OF THE ETA.

BASED ON REPORTED MINS THIS MRNG...2-3C DROPS IN 850 TEMPS...AND DROPS
IN 850-700 MB THICKNESS...CURRENT MIN FCST LOOKS GOOD.  MAXES TOMORROW
WILL BE TRICKY AND DEPEND WHEN/IF THE CLDS BREAK.  ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED ATTM...WOULD STAY AT OR BELOW MOS.

GLD 48/65 52  HLC 54/69 65
CBK 49/66 52  MCK 50/64 55
TRB 52/72 52  5C0 48/63 66

BULLER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 1, 6:41 PM MDT, 17 minutes before
COZ090>092-020145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
641 PM MDT SAT OCT 1 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY IN COLORADO...

AT 635 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND
POSSIBLE SOME SMALL HAIL WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES NORTH OF FLAGLER COLORADO OR 70
MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF GOODLAND KANSAS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER
OPEN COUNTRY OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY UNTIL 710 PM MDT.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING MAY STRIKE SOME MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT
CLOUD.  PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN EVEN THOUGH THE THUNDERSTORM IS
NOT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.
BOYLE
Special weather statement, Oct 1, 6:42 PM MDT, 16 minutes before
COZ090>092-020145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
641 PM MDT SAT OCT 1 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY IN COLORADO...

AT 635 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND
POSSIBLE SOME SMALL HAIL WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES NORTH OF FLAGLER COLORADO OR 70
MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF GOODLAND KANSAS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER
OPEN COUNTY OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY UNTIL 710 PM MDT.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING MAY STRIKE SOME MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT
CLOUD.  PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN EVEN THOUGH THE THUNDERSTORM IS
NOT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.

BOYLE
Special weather statement, Oct 1, 6:47 PM MDT, 11 minutes before
COZ090>092-020145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
641 PM MDT SAT OCT 1 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY IN COLORADO...

AT 635 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND
POSSIBLE SOME SMALL HAIL WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF KIT
CARSON COUNTY ABOUT 15 TO 20 MILES NORTH OF FLAGLER COLORADO OR 70
MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF GOODLAND KANSAS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER
OPEN COUNTRY OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY UNTIL 710 PM MDT.

REMEMBER...LIGHTNING MAY STRIKE SOME MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT
CLOUD.  PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN EVEN THOUGH THE THUNDERSTORM IS
NOT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD.
BOYLE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 1, 6:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDEl Paso57 min
Oct 1, 7:11 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDElbert49 min
Oct 1, 8:10 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDEl Paso35 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.