Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 76, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at Jul 30, 1996, 10:15 PM MDT for Morgan County, Colorado. It was in force for 45 min. 8 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 30, 1996, 10:15 PM MDT (04:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 30, 1996, 11:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties
County Morgan County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:18 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 30, 10:16 PM MDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Weldona, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:16 PM MDT | Hail 1.5 | Weldona, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:18 PM MDT | Tornado F0 | Ft Morgan, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:23 PM MDT | Hail 2.75 | Ft Morgan, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:26 PM MDT | Hail 1.75 | Ft Morgan, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:35 PM MDT | Thunderstorm Wind 61 | Ft Morgan, CO | |
| Jul 30, 10:35 PM MDT | Hail 2 | Ft Morgan, CO | |
| Jul 30, 11:10 PM MDT | Thunderstorm Wind 51 | Orchard, 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, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 66 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
- 794 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -33 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2039 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 1 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 134 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDEN 310416
TORDEN
COC087-310500-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1015 PM MDT TUE JUL 30 1996
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
MORGAN
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
ADENA...ADENA SCHOOL...ANTELOPE SPRINGS...BRUSH...FORT MORGAN...
GARY...HILLROSE...LOG LANE VILLAGE...SNYDER...TWELVE-MILE CORNER
AND WELDONA
AT 1012 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR WELDONA...OR ABOUT 8 MILES
NORTHWEST OF FORT MORGAN.
THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MILES PER HOUR. IN ADDITION TO THE
POSSIBLE TORNADO...GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED IN WELDONA.
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.
BARJENBRUCH
LAT...LON 4000 10347 4002 10404 4038 10405 4049 10348What 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 30, 6:01 PM MDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before
COZ042-048-310100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 600 PM MDT TUE JUL 30 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM CHEYENNE TO JUST EAST OF DENVER TO ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS. AT 6 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST WELD AND WESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND LIKELY CONTAINED MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS QUICKLY DEVELOPING ALONG THE ELBERT/EL PASO COUNTY LINE. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVOxRABLE FOR TORNADOES IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES... MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 7:10 PM MDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
COZ042>050-310300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 708 PM MDT TUE JUL 30 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM CHEYENNE TO JUST EAST OF DENVER TO ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS. AT 7 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED WEAKENING THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEASTERN COLORADO. HOWEVER...AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING WAS MOVING QUICKLY SOUTHWARD AND SHOULD BE APPROACHING NORTHEAST WELD AND NORTHWEST LOGAN COUNTIES BY 8 PM. THIS STORM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED 65 MPH WINDS AND 1/2 DIAMETER HAIL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS EVENING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 8:10 PM MDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
COZ042>050-310300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 808 PM MDT TUE JUL 30 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 9 PM MDT... THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM CHEYENNE TO JUST EAST OF DENVER TO ABOUT 15 MILES EAST OF COLORADO SPRINGS. AT 8 PM MDT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE APPROACHING THE COLORADO BORDER. THE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHEASTERN WELD AND NORTHWESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES BY 820 PM. EXPECT STRONG GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH AND 1 INCH DIAMETER HAIL WITH THE STORMS. TORNADOES ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS EVENING. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED...MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BARJENBRUCH
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 8:16 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Logan, Weld | 44 min |
| Jul 30, 8:58 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 47 min |
| Jul 30, 9:12 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Weld | 48 min |
| Jul 30, 9:41 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Morgan | 49 min |
| Jul 30, 10:35 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 55 min |
| Jul 30, 10:50 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Washington | 40 min |
| Jul 30, 10:59 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams, Washington | 31 min |
| Jul 30, 11:05 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Morgan | 55 min |
| Jul 30, 11:28 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Washington | 47 min |
| Jul 30, 11:59 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Washington | 31 min |
| Jul 31, 12:40 AM MDT | Flash Flood Warning | BOU | Washington | 110 min |
| Jul 31, 12:55 AM MDT | Flash Flood Warning | BOU | Adams | 50 min |
| Jul 31, 12:55 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Adams | 50 min |
| Jul 31, 1:09 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 36 min |
| Jul 31, 2:58 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 32 min |
| Jul 31, 3:26 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 44 min |
| Jul 31, 4:07 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 38 min |
| Jul 31, 4:47 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 43 min |
| Jul 31, 5:28 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 47 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.