Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 62, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 23, 1996, 5:25 PM MDT for Elbert County, Colorado. It was in force for 35 min. 1 report 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 23, 1996, 5:25 PM MDT (23:25 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 23, 1996, 6:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties
County Elbert County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 6:00 PM MDT | Hail 1.75 | Elbert, 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, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 101 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
- 711 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -291 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1597 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 35 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 57 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 79 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDEN 232326
TORDEN
COC039-240000-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
525 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
KUTCH
THIS WARNING REPLACES THE TORADO WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT EARLIER
FOR CENTRAL ELBERT COUNTY.
AT 525 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO 12 MILES NORTH OF KUTCH...OR
ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LIMON. THE LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF
REPORTED A TORNADO WITH THIS STORM SOUTH OF MATHESON.
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 BIS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
LAT...LON 3890 10373 3886 10393 3906 10408 3915 10395
3916 10374
&
ETWhat 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 23, 1:37 PM MDT, 3 hours 48 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-240600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 130 PM MDT TUE JUL 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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. SYNOPSIS: LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS NOT ERODED ALONG THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AS EARLIER EXPECTED. STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS HAVE HELPED TO KEEP THE MOISTURE IN PLACE. THUNDERSTORMS WERE QUICKLY DEVELOPING ALONG THE FOOTHILLS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AND THIS TREND SHOULD CONTINUE. THIS UPDATE WILL NOW INLCUDE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND ALSO IN THE DENVER METRO AREA. ENOUGH WIND SHEAR IS PRESENT FOR AN ISOLATED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM WHICH MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...EXCEPT IN THE FARd NORTHEAST CORNER OF COLORADO WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS MORE STABLE. BARJENBRUCH BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 1:45 PM MDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-232200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 145 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN NEAR LOVELAND... AT 145 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND MARBLE SIZED HAIL ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LOVELAND. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED NEAR FORT COLLINS. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH. HEAVY RAIN OF UP TO 2 INCHES WITH THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING OF STREETS AND SMALL STREAMS. NEVER DRIVE...OR WALK... THROUGH RUNNING WATER. n BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 2:14 PM MDT, 3 hours 11 minutes before
COZ038>047-049-240300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 212 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHEYENNE TO YUMA AND WRAY. IT INCLUDES FORT COLLINS...GREELEY... FORT MORGAN...THE DENVER METRO AREA...CASTLE ROCK...LIMON...AND AKRON. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED... GO IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR BASEMENT. BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 2:28 PM MDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
COZ038>047-049-240300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 230 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... AT 230 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN WELD AND EXTREME EASTERN LARIMER COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM PLATTEVILLE TO NEAR GREELEY. THESE STORMS CONTAINED MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND EXTREMELY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. MINOR STREET AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES OF RAIN WILL OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MBOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED... GO IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR BASEMENT. BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 3:59 PM MDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
COZ038>047-049-240300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 400 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST COLORADO EARLY THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE MOVING INTO EASTERN WELD AND MORGAN COUNTIES...AND ALSO ACROSS SOUTHERN LARIMER COUNTY. THESE STORMS CONTAINED MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND EXTREMELY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE MINOR STREET AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF A TORNADO IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED... GO IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR BASEMENT. BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 4:19 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
COZ041-045-046-232245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 417 PM MDT TUE JUL 23 1996 ...THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY... AT 415 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF KIOWA...OR ABOUT 35 MILES WEST OF LIMON. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN OR NEAR COUNTRY GARDENS AND KIOWA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH THIS STORM. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 900 PM TMDT. ET
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 23, 2:32 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 43 min |
| Jul 23, 2:40 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Larimer | 35 min |
| Jul 23, 4:31 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Elbert | 29 min |
| Jul 23, 4:59 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Elbert | 31 min |
| Jul 23, 5:06 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 24 min |
| Jul 23, 5:24 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 51 min |
| Jul 23, 5:34 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Douglas, Elbert | 41 min |
| Jul 23, 5:35 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 25 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.