Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 56, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 13, 1996Weld County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 13, 1996, 9:05 PM MDT for Weld County, Colorado. It was in force for 40 min. 2 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
Jul 13, 1996, 9:05 PM MDT (03:05 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 1996, 9:45 PM MDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

County Weld County, CO

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 13, 9:33 PM MDTThunderstorm Wind 52Nunn, CO
Jul 13, 9:44 PM MDTThunderstorm Wind 61Nunn, 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 00:00Z, 3.1 hours before the alert went out and 125 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 1996-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1605 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 1996-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 79 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
1605 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1342 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
79 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
298 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
7.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 140308
TORDEN
COC123-140345-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
905 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
     NORTHWESTERN WELD

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     HEREFORD...PURCELL AND ROCKPORT

AT 901 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF 
ROCKPORT...OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT COLLINS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.
THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED TORDADOES JUST NORTH OF THE WARNING AREA IN 
LARAMIE COUNTY WYOMING...AS WELL AS 1 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND
EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL. 

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.

RJK

LAT...LON 4076 10422 4068 10439 4063 10455 4063 10473
          4079 10478 4098 10484 4100 10455 4099 10429


$

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, Jul 13, 6:18 PM MDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
COZ041-046-140100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
620 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING IN EASTCENTRAL ELBERT COUNTY...

AT 6:22 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING IN EASTCENTRAL ELBERT COUNTY...INCLUDING THE
TOWNS OF AGATE...MATHESON...AND SIMLA.

OVER THE PAST 20 MINUTES THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED IN INTENSITY
BUT ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUrCING HEAVY RAINS...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY
WINDS.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARD AT 20 TO 25 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND EASTERN COLORADO
UNTIL 900 PM MDT.

RJK
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:03 PM MDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
COZALL-140300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
8 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR I-25 CORRIDOR AND NEARBY COUNTIES...

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
EASTERN FREMONT...TELLER...EL PASO...LARIMER...ADAMS...ARAPAHOE...
BOULDER....DENVER...DOUGLAS...JEFFERSON...WESTERN WELD...PUEBLO AND
CROWLEY.  THE TRHEAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS PAST FOR ALL COMMUNITIES
ALONG I-25 INCLUDING DENVER...COLORADO SPRINGS AND PUBELO AS WELL AS
THE TOWNS OF GREELEY...FORT COLLINS AND BOULDER.

THE TORNADO WATCH DOES CONTINUE UNTIL 9 PM MDT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...CHEYENNE...ELBERT...KIT CARSON...LINCOLN...CENTRAL AND
EASTERN WELD...LOGAN...MORGAN...PHILLIPS...SEDGWICK...WASHINGTON AND
YUMA.

END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:15 PM MDT, 50 minutes before
COZ042-048-140245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
810 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORM HEADING INTO WELD AND LOGAN COUNTIES...

AT 810 PM MDT RADAR SHOWED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS THE
NORTHERN COLORADO BORDER INTO NORTHEASTERN WELD AND NORTHWESTERN LOGAN
COUNTIES.  THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS WEKEANED IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES BUT
DID PRODUCE A TORNADO AND LARGE HAIL EARLIER WHILE IN WYOMING.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST ABOUT 30 MPH AND WILL PASS OVER
OR NEAR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...LOGAN CORNERS...NORTH STERLING
RESERVOIR...STERLING AND WESTPLAINS.  THIS THUNDERSTORM IS STILL
QUITE POTENT AND MAY PRODUCE MARBLE OR LARGER SIZE HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY
RAIN.

ANYONE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT AND MOVE INDOORS IF THIS
THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.  PROTECT VEHICLES FROM HAIL WHICH COULD
BY PUTTING THEM UNDER COVER

END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:20 PM MDT, 45 minutes before
COZ042-048-140245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
820 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORM HEADING INTO WELD AND LOGAN COUNTIES...

AT 810 PM MDT RADAR SHOWED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS THE
NORTHERN COLORADO BORDER INTO NORTHEASTERN WELD AND NORTHWESTERN LOGAN
COUNTIES.  THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS WEKEANED IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES BUT
DID PRODUCE A TORNADO AND LARGE HAIL EARLIER WHILE IN WYOMING.

THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST ABOUT 30 MPH AND WILL PASS OVER
OR NEAR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...LOGAN CORNERS...NORTH STERLING
RESERVOIR...STERLING AND WESTPLAINS.  THIS THUNDERSTORM IS STILL
QUITE POTENT AND MAY PRODUCE MARBLE OR LARGER SIZE HAIL ALONG WITH HEAVY
RAIN.

ANYONE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT AND MOVE INDOORS IF THIS
THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.  PROTECT VEHICLES FROM HAIL BY PUTTING THEM
UNDER COVER.

END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 8:38 PM MDT, 27 minutes before
COZ036-140600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO
841 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER IS CANCELLING THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
RAINFALL IS NO LONGER EXPECTED OVER THE WATCH AREA THIS EVENING.

EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON VERY WEAK SHOWERS PUSHED ACROSS SOUTHERN
JEFFERSON COUNTY DROPPING LESS THEN ONE TENTH OF AN INCH OF RAIN.

SUNDAY'S FORECAST INDICATES MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE FOR
THE FOOTHILLS INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY AREA.

RJK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 6:34 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert26 min
Jul 13, 6:52 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan53 min
Jul 13, 9:45 PM MDTTornado WarningBOULarimer, Weld35 min
Jul 13, 10:18 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Morgan, Weld27 min
Jul 13, 10:37 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Morgan, Washington53 min
Jul 13, 10:44 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe31 min
Jul 13, 10:44 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWeld31 min
Jul 13, 10:56 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe34 min
Jul 13, 11:33 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUArapahoe, Elbert, Lincoln27 min
Jul 13, 11:55 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln40 min
Jul 14, 12:26 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln34 min
Jul 14, 1:04 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln41 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.