Alert archive / Wyoming / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Cheyenne, WY

July 13, 1996Platte County, Wyoming

NWS Cheyenne, WY issued this tornado warning at Jul 13, 1996, 4:57 PM MDT for Platte County, Wyoming. It was in force for 33 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 13, 1996, 4:57 PM MDT (22:57 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 1996, 5:30 PM MDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Cheyenne, WY
Area
Whole counties

County Platte County, WY

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 13, 5:15 PM MDTHail 1.75Glendo, WY

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

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 274 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 1996-07-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 1996-07-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -19 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1401 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
61 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 KCYS 132259
TORCYS
WYC031-132330-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
457 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHEYENNE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING
 
   ...NORTHERN PLATTE COUNTY INCLUDING GLENDO...
 
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN NORTHERN PLATTE COUNTY 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
GLENDO. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. DOPPLER RADAR
INDICATED THAT A TORNADO IS LIKELY WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM ALONG WITH ONE
TO ONE AND A HALF INCH HAIL.
 
 
DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED STRONG ROTATION IN THIS STORM.  IT HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY MOMENT!
 
BAKER

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, 11:47 AM MDT, 5 hours 10 minutes before
WYZ059>060-064>070-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1146 AM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE STARTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN LARAMIE RANGE
LATE THIS SATURDAY MORNING.  AT 1140 AM...A THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
16 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHEATLAND.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  AT ITS CURRENT MOVEMENT...THE STORM WILL
APPROACH WHEATLAND AROUND 1230 PM.

THIS THUNDERSTORM AS WELL AS OTHER STORMS WHICH WILL DEVELOP EARLY IN
THE AFTERNOON WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A STORM APPROACHES...BE SURE TO MOVE TO A
SAFE SHELTER AND OFF OF WATER.

WCJIN-WYSE-WYNE
WEILAND
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 12:19 PM MDT, 4 hours 38 minutes before
WYZ059>060-064>070-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1219 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING...

AT 1215 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF
WHEATLAND AND 10 MILES EAST OF WHEATLAND.  BOTH OF THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  THE STRONGER PARTS OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PASS TO THE SOUTH OF WHEATLAND.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL AS OTHER STORMS WHICH WILL DEVELOP DURING
THE AFTERNOON IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND
HAIL.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A STORM APPROACHES...BE SURE TO MOVE TO A
SAFE SHELTER AND OFF OF WATER.
WCJIN-WYSE-WYNE
WEILAND
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 1:00 PM MDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
WYZ059-060-064>070-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
1258 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING...

AT 1255 PM THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WAS INCREASING IN ALBANY COUNTY AND
STORMS CONTINUED IN PLATTE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 20
MILES WEST OF WHEATLAND AND ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WHEATLAND.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL AS OTHER STORMS WHICH WILL DEVELOP DURING
THE AFTERNOON IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND
HAIL.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A STORM APPROACHES...BE SURE TO MOVE TO A
SAFE SHELTER.

WCJIN-WYSE-WYNE
HARRISON
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 1:35 PM MDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
WYZ059-060-064>070-132100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
135 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

AT 130 PM THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST
WYOMING.  TWO STRONG STORMS CLOSE TO EACH OTHER HAD DEVELOPED IN WESTERN
LARAMIE COUNTY AND WERE ABOUT 15 MILES WEST TO NORTHWEST OF CHEYENNE.
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL MOVE THROUGH OR
NEAR CHEYENNE BY 230 PM.

A CLUSTER OF STORMS WAS LOCATED IN WESTERN PLATTE COUNTY AND NORTHERN
ALBANY COUNTY WITH A FEW MORE STORMS SURROUNDING LARAMIE.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH
THE EVENING.  PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A STORM APPROACHES...BE
SURE TO MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER.

WCJIN-WYSE-WYNE
HARRISON
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 2:17 PM MDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
WYZ067>070-132130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
217 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WYOMING
UNTIL 900 PM...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN KANSAS CITY HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH
FOR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF WYOMING.  THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
900 PM.  THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE CITIES OF CHEYENNE...TORRINGTON...
WHEATLAND AND PINE BLUFFS.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVROABLE FOR THE
FORMATION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND EVEN TORNADOES.

AT 210 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST
LARAMIE COUNTY.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ABOUT SOUTHEAST
WYOMING...BUT WERE NOT AS STRONG.
<
NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND TORNADOES.  PLEASE REVIEW SAFETY RULES AND LOCATE A NEARBY PLACE
OF SAFETY.  IOF A STORM APPROACHES...MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER.

WCJIN-WYSE
WEILAND
Special weather statement, Jul 13, 3:51 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
WYZ068-132215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
350 PM MDT SAT JUL 13 1996

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR EASTERN GOSHEN COUNTY UNTIL
4 PM MDT. AT 348 PM RADnAR SHOWED ONE STORM JUST EAST OF TORRINGTON AND
ANOTHER STORM 18 MILES NORTH OF TORRINGTON. THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO
MOVE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

HARRISON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cheyenne, WY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 2:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSLaramie37 min
Jul 13, 3:12 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSLaramie63 min
Jul 13, 3:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSGoshen25 min
Jul 13, 4:36 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSNiobrara39 min
Jul 13, 4:51 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSConverse39 min
Jul 13, 5:33 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSPlatte27 min
Jul 13, 5:40 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSNiobrara35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wyoming, 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.