Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Goodland, KS

May 30, 1996Yuma County, Colorado

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at May 30, 1996, 7:06 PM MDT for Yuma County, Colorado. It was in force for 64 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
May 30, 1996, 7:06 PM MDT (01:06 UTC)
Expired
May 30, 1996, 8:10 PM MDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Yuma County, CO

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:08 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 70 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 1996-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 930 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 1996-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 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
930 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-153 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2007 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
179 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGLD 310108
TORGLD
COC125-310210-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
706 PM MDT THU MAY 30 1996

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND KS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 810 PM MDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

   ...WESTERN YUMA COUNTY
 
AT 705 PM MDT...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY A SPOTTER 31 MILES WEST OF
WRAY OR 5 MILES WEST OF YUMA.  MOVEMENT IS NEARLY STATIONARY.

AT PRESENT MOVEMENT THE TORNADO WILL BE AROUND....
  YUMA                        BY 735 PM MDT

A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND! GO TO THE BASEMENT! IF A BASEMENT IS NOT
AVAILABLE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR!

KPL

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.

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 30, 2:10 PM MDT, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 2:10 PM MDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
210 PM MDT (310 PM CDT) THU MAY 30 1996

...FCST CHALLENGE IS THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE THIS EVE INTO FRIDAY...

...SHORT TERM...
WEAK VORT MAX SPINNING OVR THE HI PLAINS AND LLJ COMBINED TO
PRODUCE A FEW TSTMS OVR GLD CWA THIS MORNING.  GOOD CLRNG/NVA
INDICATED BY VIS SATELLITE BEHIND SHORTWAVE THIS AFTN.  GOOD HEATING
COMBINED WITH INCREASING MSTR CONVERGENCE OVR KS/CO BORDER WL HELP
DESTABILIZE AMS MORE LATER THIS AFTN AND EVE.  ADAPS ALSO POINTS TO
CAP ERODING OVR REGN THIS AFTN WITH NEG LIS ALFT.

MID LVL THERMAL RIDGE WAS JUST W OF CWA THIS MORNING.  12Z ETA
INITIALIZATION SHOWED WARM POOL ALOFT OVR E COLO WITH DEN AT +10C.
THIS RIDGE WL BE REPLACED BY TROUGH THIS EVE/TONIGHT.  FEEL AS
TROUGH APPROACHES HI PLAINS TSTMS WL GET GOING.  NEW 94O CONVECTIVE
OUTLOOK NOW PUTS MODERATE RISK OVR NE COLO TO KS BORDER INTO TONIGHT.
MODIFIED SOUNDING FROM LBF INDICATES A CAPE OF AROUND 2000 J/KG AND
LI OF -9C. DDC NOT AS IMPRESSIVE WITH CAPE BUT GOOD SHEAR PROFILE.

WITH ALL OF THIS IN MIND...SEVERE WX COULD OCCUR OVR A LARGE AREA
THIS EVE AND COULD CONTINUE OVR E PARTS OF CWA THRU TNGT AS NGM KEEPS
850-500 LIS AROUND -4 AND CONTINUING UPSLOPE FLOW.  MDLS SEEM TO
HAVE A GOOD HANDLE WITH MAINTAINING A MOIST SELY FLOW THRU FRIDAY
MORNING WITH LOW CLDS/FOG REDEVELOPING.  LYNOTT

...LONG TERM...
NO REAL H5 PVA TO SPEAK OF THRU SATURDAY...AND MOST WX WILL BE THE
RESULT OF UPPER DIFLUENCE COMBINED WITH GOOD LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND
WAA. HAVE RELIED MOSTLY ON THE ETA MODEL AS IT PICKED UP PRETTY WELL
ON UPPER LEVEL FEATURES THIS MORN.

H8 TROF AND MOIST SE WINDS TO REMAIN IN PLACE THRU 36HRS...AFTER
WHICH TIME FLOW WILL BECOME NW WITH CAA. AT THAT TIME DEEP H5 TROF
BASE POSITIONS OVHD AND UPR FLOW GOES ZONAL WITH DRY SFC HIGH
SETTING UP FOR THE WEEKEND. UNTIL THEN WX FRI NGT SHUD LOOK ALOT LIKE
TONITE WITH GOOD MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND SCT TRW DEVLPNG AHEAD OF
COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE NW.

FRH68 GIVES DDC OVER AN INCH OF RAIN FRI NGT WITH VRY STG VV/S...BUT
HARDLY ANYTHING TO LBF INDCTG THAT MOST PRECIP WILL FALL E AND SOUTH
OF TRI STATE REGION. ETA QPFS LOOK OVERDONE WITH MUCH OF KS SEEING
>.25 IN BY SAT MORN...ALTHOUGH LOOK GOOD AS FAR AS PRECIP COVERAGE.
A LOOK AT LAST NGTS GRIDDED ETA SHOWED BEST LOW LYR CONVERGENT Q OVR
ERN CO AND WRN KS BY FRI NGT. THIS COMBINED WITH I8L -4 CVG...MAKES
ME FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT POPS ATTM. STUCK FAIR<LY CLOSE TO MOS TEMPS
FOR HIGHS/LOWS ON FRI...AND FAN GUID HIGHS FOR SAT.  STAVISH

GLD 052/073/050/078 623   HLC  055/075/055/079 723
CBK 052/075/052/078 623   MCK  054/074/050/078 723
TRB 054/080/056/080 623   ITR  051/075/049/077 623

.END

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 30, 2:27 PM MDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before
COZ090>092-302330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
226 PM MDT THU MAY 30 1996

...TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED UNTIL 9 PM MDT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH EFFECTIVE
UNTIL 9 PM MDT FOR YUMA...KIT CARSON AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES OF FAR
EASTERN COLORADO.  CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN
THESE AREAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  LARGE HAIL...HEAVY
RAINFALL AND EVEN TORNADOES COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY
THUNDERSTORMS.

ADVANCE PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL DURING A TORNADO WATCH. YOU SHOULD
KNOW WHERE THE SAFEST AREAS OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS ARE...SUCH AS
INTERIOR ROOMS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NO|AA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

LYNOTT
Special weather statement, May 30, 5:24 PM MDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
COZ090>092-310025-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
523 PM MDT THU MAY 30 1996

...STRONG-TO-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO ENTER THE
EXTREME EASTERN COLORADO...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN CHEYENNE
UNTIL 645 PM...

AT 525 PM...THE LEADING EDGE OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORM EXTENDS FROM
AROYA TO FLAGLER TO JUST WEST OF WRAY. THE STRONGEST CELL IS JUST
WEST OF AROYA AND EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO WILD HORSE IN THE NEXT 15
MINUTES. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.

A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM REMAINS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND IS
MOVING CLOSER TO THE BORDER OF WEST CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY. SEVERE
WEATHER IS IMMINENT AND EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND
LARGE HAIL DURING MUCH OF THE EARLY EVENING HOURS ACROSS EASTERN
COLORADO.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR YUMA...KIT CARSON..AND
CHEYENNE COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM. REMEMBER...THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND
O^CCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

VOJTESAK
Special weather statement, May 30, 5:26 PM MDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
COZ090>092-310025-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORR TO WORDING...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
523 PM MDT THU MAY 30 1996

...STRONG-TO-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO ENTER THE
EXTREME EASTERN COLORADO...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN CHEYENNE
UNTIL 645 PM...

AT 525 PM...THE LEADING EDGE OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM
AROYA TO FLAGLER TO JUST WEST OF WRAY. THE STRONGEST CELL IS JUST
WEST OF AROYA AND EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO WILD HORSE IN THE NEXT 15
MINUTES. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.

A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM REMAINS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY AND IS
MOVING CLOSER TO THE BORDER OF WEST CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY. SEVERE

WEATHER IS IMMINENT AND EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL AND
COLORADO.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR YUMA...KIT CARSON..AND
CHEYENNE COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM. REMEMBER...THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND
OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

STdAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

VOJTESAK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 30, 6:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDYuma61 min
May 30, 10:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson47 min
May 30, 10:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDYuma62 min
May 31, 2:56 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDCheyenne64 min
May 31, 4:06 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson49 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.