Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 23, 1996, 5:40 PM MDT for Adams County, Arapahoe County, Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 60 min. 3 reports 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
- May 23, 1996, 5:40 PM MDT (23:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 23, 1996, 6:40 PM MDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Washington County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:42 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 5:50 PM MDT | Hail 1.75 | Last Chance, CO | |
| May 23, 6:10 PM MDT | Hail 1.75 | Lindon, CO | |
| May 23, 6:25 PM MDT | Hail 0.88 | Lindon, 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 62 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 9 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -88 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 616 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 66 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 54 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 198 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDEN 232342
TORDEN
COC039-001-005-121-240030-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
540 PM MDT THU MAY 23 1996
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 640 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
JOLLY RANCH...LAST CHANCE...AND LINDON.
AT 535 PM MDT WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 4 MILES EAST OF JOLLY RANCH...OR
ABOUT 27 MILES NORTH OF LIMON.
AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL WITH THIS
STORM.
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH WITH NEW
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP OVER NORTHEAST ELBERT COUNTY.
THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AS DOPPLER
RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATE STRONG CIRCULATION IN ITS CORE.
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.
BAKER
LAT...LON 3959 10334 3957 10369 3958 10398 39X85 10390
4003 10342What 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, May 23, 1:16 PM MDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
COZ0041-045-232015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 115 PM MDT THU MAY 23 1996 ...A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST ELBERT COUNTY... AT 110 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COUNTRY GARDENS IN EXTREME NORTHWEST ELBERT COUNTY...OR ABOUT 29 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DENVER. THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WAS EXPECTED TO CROSS SOUTHEAST ARAPAHOE COUNTY BETWEEN 130 AND 2 PM. PEOPLE DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE 70 AND THOSE LIVING IN THE TOWN OF DEER TRAIL SHOULD PREPARE TO MOVE TO A PLACE COF SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SPOTTED. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HERAVY RAIN SHOULD BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL... NORTHEASTERN AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO UNTIL 900PM MDT. BAKER LAT...LON 3940 10419 3937 10462 3970 10462 3972 10409
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:33 PM MDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-240600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 330 PM MDT THU MAY 23 1996 THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COLORADO COUNTIES ADAMS ARAPAHOE BOULDER CLEAR CREEK DENVER DOUGLAS ELBERT GILPIN GRAND JACKSON JEFFERSON LARIMER LINCOLN LOGAN MORGAN PARK PHILLIPS SEDGWICK SUMMIT WASHINGTON WELD SYNOPSIS: MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO REMAINS UNDER A TORNADO WATCH THIS AFTERNOON. AS OF 330 PM...SEVERE WEATHER HAS YET TO DEVELOP. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO DEVELOP DUE TO CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER RETARDING SURFACE HEATING. HOWEVER...AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...EAST TO NORTHEAST UPSLOPE WINDS AND PASSAGE OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURDANCE SHOULD PRODUCE ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT RANGE AND OVER THE MONUMENT RIDGE SOUTH OF DENVER LATER THIS AFTERNOON. DUE TO THE RELATIVELY FAST MOVEMENT OF STORMS...RAINFALL AMOUNTS SHOULD BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE...RANGING FROM A TENTH TO A QUARTER INCH. HOWEVER...ONE OR TWO THUNDERSTORMS OVER AND NEAR THE FOOTHILLS SOUTH AND WEST OF DENVER WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FROM 1 TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE FRONT RANGE BETWEEN 4 AND 8 PM. THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF A STERLING TO LIMON LINE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP... ESPECIALLY IN THE ELBERT AND DOUGLAS COUNTY AREA...DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 1 1/2 HOURS. BAKER
Special weather statement, May 23, 4:25 PM MDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-067-071-072-240300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 425 PM MDT THU MAY 23 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT. THE WATCH INCLUDES ELBERT...LINCOLN..EASTERN LARIMER..ADAMS.. ARAPAHOE..BOULDER..DENVER..WESTERN WASHINGTON AND WELD COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE DENVER METRO AREA. LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OF GREATER THAN 60 MPH AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS UNTIL 9 PM. NO LONGER UNDER THE TORNADO WATCH...IS THE EAST CENTRAL COLORADO COUNTIES OF TELLER AN~D EL PASO...INCLUDING COLORADO SPRINGS. THE ATMOSPHERE HAS DRIER OUT SIGNIFICANTLY WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS SOUTH OF THE MONUMENT RIDGE AND THEREFORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS NOT ANTICIPATED. BAKER
Special weather statement, May 23, 4:55 PM MDT, 45 minutes before
COZ041-045>046-232345-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
455 PM MDT THU MAY 23 1996
...THUNDERSTORMS FORMING RAPIDLY OVER NORTH CENTRAL ELBERT COUNTY...
AT 455 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DEER TRAIL...OR ABOUT 29 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LIMON.
DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED POSSIBLE ROTATION AND HAIL WITH THIS STORM.
THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
NORTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN ARAPAHOE COUNTY BETWEEN 5 AND 5:45 PM.
PEOPLE IN BYERS AND DEER TRAIL SHOULD PREPARE TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SPOTTED.
THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL DAMAGING HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND A
POSSIBLE TORNADO.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEASTERN AND
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO UNTIL 900 PM MDT.
BAKER
LAT...LON 3939 10401 3939 10429 3964 10431 3998 10380
3968 10372 3950 10391The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 6:04 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Phillips | 56 min |
| May 22, 6:29 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Phillips | 31 min |
| May 22, 6:57 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Phillips | 33 min |
| May 22, 11:06 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Jefferson | 39 min |
| May 22, 11:23 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Denver | 52 min |
| May 22, 11:47 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Denver, Weld | 43 min |
| May 23, 12:41 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Morgan, Weld | 49 min |
| May 23, 1:44 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Morgan, Washington | 31 min |
| May 23, 5:00 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Arapahoe, Elbert | 45 min |
| May 23, 5:00 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Adams | 45 min |
| May 23, 5:40 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Elbert | 60 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.