Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 68, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 28, 1996Adams County, Weld County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 1996, 6:35 PM MDT for Adams County, Weld County, Colorado. It was in force for 25 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
Jul 28, 1996, 6:35 PM MDT (00:35 UTC)
Expired
Jul 28, 1996, 7:00 PM MDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Adams County, CO, Weld County, CO

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 104 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 1996-07-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 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 1996-07-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -121 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-149 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2683 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-121 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-101 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDEN 290038
TORDEN
COC001-123-290100-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
635 PM MDT SUN JUL 28 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
     WESTERN ADAMS AND EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL WELD

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...BENNETT AND WATKINS

AT 628 PM MDT AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 12 
MILES SOUTHEAST OF BARR LAKE.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 15 TO 20 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 3998 10409 3982 10408 3976 10434 3998 10459
          4012 10440
FMC
FMC

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 28, 2:11 PM MDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-290600-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
210 PM MDT SUN JULY 28 1996

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM MDT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO...

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

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 9PM MDT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES:  LOGAN...MORGAN...SEDGWICK...NORTHERN WASHINGTON AND
EASTERN WELD COUNTIES.  THE WATCH INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:  AKRON...FORT MORGAN...HOLYOKE...ROGGEN...
STERLING AND JULESBURG.

A MOIST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  THE BEST SOURCE OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
WILL REMAIN IN THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS...MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM HEREFORD IN NORTHCENTRAL WELD COUNTY TO FORT MORGAN TO
AROUND ELBA IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY.  A WEAK UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO EASTERN WYOMING LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...THIS MAY BE ENOUGH TO HELP SPAWN A FEW SEVERE STORMS IN
THE NORTHEASTERN PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A FEW SEVERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP EAST OF THE LINE MENTIONED EARLIER.
ISOLATED TORNADOS...LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH
AND VERY HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FOR MORGAN AND PHILLIPS COUNTIES
AFTER 5PM THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 200 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPING IN THE FOOTHILLS...THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER
SOUTHERN JEFFERSON...PARK AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES.   THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.

SMALL HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS.  SEEK SHELTER IF A STORM
APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

FMC
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 2:55 PM MDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
COZ035-038-282130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
255 PM MDT SUN JUL 28 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHEASTERN LARIMER COUNTY...

AT 250 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF NATURAL FORT REST AREA...OR
ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF FORT COLLINS...ALONG THE COLORADO/WYOMING
BORDER.

THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR CARR...NATURAL FORT REST AREA...ROCKPORT AND
WELLINGTON SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE
TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS
TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.  SEEK SHELTER IF THE STORM
APPRACHES YOUR AREA.

FMC
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 3:31 PM MDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
COZ035-038-282215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
330 PM MDT SUN JUL 28 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LARIMER AND
NORTHWESTERN WELD COUNTIES...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DISSIPATE AND REDEVELOP ALONG THE
COLORADO/WYOMING BORDERS.  AT 324 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NATURAL
FORT REST AREA...OR ABOUT 26 MILES NORTH OF FORT COLLINS.

THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR CARR...NATURAL FORT REST AREA AND ROCKPORT
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH THIS STORM.  SEEK SHELTER IF A STORM
APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

FMC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 28, 6:08 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Denver, Weld37 min
Jul 28, 6:37 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUBoulder53 min
Jul 28, 6:43 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan, Phillips, Sedgwick47 min
Jul 28, 6:56 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Denver34 min
Jul 28, 7:03 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe27 min
Jul 28, 7:30 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan, Phillips45 min
Jul 28, 8:32 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln43 min
Jul 28, 8:58 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULincoln47 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.