Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 104, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

August 29, 1996Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Aug 29, 1996, 8:00 PM MDT for Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado. It was in force for 30 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 29, 1996, 8:00 PM MDT (02:00 UTC)
Expired
Aug 29, 1996, 8:30 PM MDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Denver County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 4 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:02 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 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 111 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 1996-08-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 702 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 00:00Z on 1996-08-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 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
702 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2013 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 300206 COR
TORDEN
COC001-005-031-300230-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING...CORRECTED 
MOVEMENT OF STORM.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
800 PM MDT THU AUG 29 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
     ARAPAHOE...EASTERN DENVER AND SOUTHERN ADAMS

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
 AURORA...CENTRAL CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE...SOUTHEASTERN DENVER... ...
EAST CENTRAL      ENGLEWOOD...ARAPAHOE PARK...BENNETT...BYERS...
COUNTRY GARDENS...     DEER TRAIL...GREENWOOD VILLAGE...MANILA 
VILLAGE...STRASBURG AND WATKINS

AT 750 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF AURORA...OR
ABOUT 11 MILES EAST OF DENVER.

THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.

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.

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.

LAT...LON 3957 10392 3958 10495 3974 10494 3992| 10417
          3975 10399

KLEYLA

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, Aug 29, 2:34 PM MDT, 5 hours 26 minutes before
COZ036-041-292050-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
230 PM MDT THU AUG 29 1996

...DOPPLER RADAR DETECTING SMALL HAIL FALLING FROM THUNDERSTORMS
OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST DOUGLAS COUNTY...

AT 225 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF WESTCREEK...OR ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST
OF COLORADO SPRINGS IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST DOUGLAS COUNTY.

DOPPLER RADAR WAS DETECTING SMALL HAIL WITH THIS STORM.

THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR AND IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY BY 245 PM MDT.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR DECKERS...DEVIL'S HEAD...AND LARKSPUR SHOULD BE
ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEAZTHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY
IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL
800 PM MDT.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:13 PM MDT, 4 hours 47 minutes before
COZ041-292130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
310 PM MDT THU AUG 29 1996

...HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN DETECTED ON RADAR FROM A THUNDERSTORM
IN WESTERN ELBERT COUNTY...

AT 305 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF KIOWA...OR ABOUT 34 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
DENVER.

DOPPLER RADAR WAS DETECTING SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH
THIS THUNDERSTORM.  RADAR HAS ALSO INDICATED SOME STRENGTHENING OF
THIS STORM IN THE PAST 10 MINUTES...A THEREFORE MAY BECOME SEVERE AS
IT MOVES ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ELBERT COUNTY.

MOVEMENT OF THIS STORM WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ELIZABETH AND KIOWA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER
APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL
800 PM MDT.

BAKER...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 3:49 PM MDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
COZ038-040-042>045-049-292300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
345 PM MDT THU AUG 29 1996

...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE IN THE NEXT HOUR...

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS WELD...MORGAN...EASTERN
ADAMS AND EASTERN ARAPAHOE COUNTIES AS OF 340 PM MDT.  STORMS WERE
FORMING ALONG A WELL DEFINED WIND CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY EXTENDING
NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA.

AT 340 PM MDT THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM INDICATED ON NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF HARDIN...OR ABOUT
15 MILES EAST OF GREELEY.

MOVEMENT OF STORMS IN WELD AND MORGAN COUNTIES WAS TO THE WEST AT 20
MPH...AND THOSE IN MORGAN...ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES TO THE
NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH.

PEOPLE IN THE ABOVE MENTIONED COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER
APPROACHES.  STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH OR NO WARNING.  LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL
800 PM MDT.

BAKER...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Aug 29, 4:41 PM MDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
COZ038-039-042>045-048-049-300000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
438 PM MDT THU AUG 29 1996

...THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHING NORTHEAST COLORADO FROM SOUTHEAST
WYOMING...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST WYOMING WERE
ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE WHICH IS
FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS EVENING.

AS THIS DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH NORTHEAST COLORADO BETWEEN 5 AND 8
PM MDT THIS EVENING...NEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...
SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE.  LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND
TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER THIS EVENING AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER
APPROACHES.  STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH OR NO WARNING.  LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECdT FOR MOST OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL
800 PM MDT.

BAKER...WSFO DENVER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 29, 6:05 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWeld25 min
Aug 29, 6:25 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWeld50 min
Aug 29, 7:12 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWeld48 min
Aug 29, 7:39 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams36 min
Aug 29, 7:40 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996

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.