Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 20, 1995Larimer County, Weld County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1995, 5:23 PM MDT for Larimer County, Weld County, Colorado. It was in force for 52 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 1995, 5:23 PM MDT (23:23 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1995, 6:15 PM MDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Larimer County, CO, Weld County, CO

The radar

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:22 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 1995-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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 12:00Z on 1995-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 40 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
702 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
128 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 202327
SVRDEN
COC069-123-210015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
523 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO
     SOUTHEASTERN LARIMER

IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
     WEST CENTRAL WELD

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     AULT...EATON...EVANS...FORT COLLINS...GARDEN CITY...
     GILCREST...GREELEY...HARMONY...LA SALLE...LOVELAND...
     MILLIKEN...MILTON RESERVOIR...NUNN...PECKHAM...PIERCE...
     SEVERANCE...TIMNATH...WELLINGTON AND WINDSOR

AT 523 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF WELLINGTON ...OR ABOUT 6
MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT COLLINS. 

A PRIVATE METEOROLOGIST IN FORT COLLINS HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF
1/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN WELLINGTON AND FORT COLLINS.  THIS STORM
IS STILL INTENSIFYING AND COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL WITHIN THE NEXT
HALF HOUR.  HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO REPORTED IN
FORT COLLINS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST ABOUT 20 MPH AND COULD REACH
LOVELAND BY 615 PM MDT.

IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE A STURDY
SHELTER AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS.
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN.

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


END...WSFO DENVER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 20, 12:50 PM MDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
COZ036-041-201915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1248 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN DOUGLAS COUNTY...

AT 1248 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTH OF PERRY PARK ...OR ABOUT 30 MILES
SOUTH OF DENVER.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTH|ER UPDATES.

LAT...LON 3919 10476 3919 10514 3941 10514 3941 10472
Special weather statement, May 20, 1:19 PM MDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
COZ036-041-201945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
117 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...STRONG STORM IN DOUGLAS COUNTY WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY 1:30
PM...

 AT 117 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF LARKSPUR ...OR ABOUT 24 MILES
NORTH OF COLORADO SPRINGS.

HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM AS IT
MOVES TO THE SOUTWEST AT 18 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SEEK SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM
PASSES.

ANDERSEN

LAT...LON 3912 10467 3913 10511 3928 10502 3929 10473
Special weather statement, May 20, 2:11 PM MDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
COZ041-046-202045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
208 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING IN ELBERT COUNTY...

AT 208 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES WEST OF LIMON.

AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED HAVE REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
WEST OF AGATE.  HOWEVER THE FUNNEL HAS MOVED BACK UP INTO THE STORM.

BRIEF DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVES
TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

TAKE SHELTER IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.

ANDERSEN

LAT...LON 3927 10399 3928 10427 3950 10428 3950 10399
Local storm report, May 20, 4:13 PM MDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
512 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...PRELIMINARY SEVERE WEATHER REPORT...NORTHEAST COLORADO MAY 20 1995...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE       ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0125 PM    1 N OF MONUMENT            CO          3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
           EL PASO COUNTY

0348 PM    3 S OF BENNET              CO          3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
           ARAPAHOE COUNTY

BARJENBRUCH
Local storm report, May 20, 4:16 PM MDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
415 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...PRELIMINARY SEVERE WEATHER REPORT...NORTHEAST COLORADO MAY 20 1995...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE       ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0125 PM    1 N OF MONUMENT            CO          3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
           EL PASO COUNTY

0348 PM    3 S OF BENNET              CO          3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
           ARAPAHOE COUNTY

CORRECTED TIME
BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, May 20, 5:11 PM MDT, 12 minutes before
COZ038-042-043-210000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
510 PM MDT SAT MAY 20 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH EASTERN LARIMER COUNTY...

AT 510 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH
EASTERN LARIMER COUNTY.  RADAR INDICATED THAT THE CENTER OF THIS
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT ABOUT 17 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT COLLINS.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVG THROUGH FORT COLLINS BETWEEN 530 AND 6 PM
MDT IF IT CONTINUES ITS PRESENT TRACK AND SPEED.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL
ALSO AFFECT THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF WELD COUNTY NAMELY THE TOWNS
FROM WINDSOR SOUTH TO PLATTEVILLE BETWEEN 530 AND 630 PM MDT.

HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS
FOR MOTORISTS ON I-25 BETWEEN LOVELAND AND WELLINGTON BETWEEN 530 AND
630 PM MDT.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE INDOORS INTO A STURDY SHELTER.
MOTORISTS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED IF RAIN OR HAIL IS ENCOUNTERED.  DO NOT
TRY TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED LOW LYING AREAS.

END...WSFO DENVER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 1:32 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUDouglas20 min
May 20, 3:48 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1995

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.