Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 156, NWS Pueblo, CO

July 24, 1996Kiowa County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 24, 1996, 6:01 PM MDT for Kiowa County, Colorado. It was in force for 89 min. 2 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 24, 1996, 6:01 PM MDT (00:01 UTC)
Expired
Jul 24, 1996, 7:30 PM MDT
In force
89 min
Issued by
NWS Pueblo, CO
Area
Whole counties

County Kiowa County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:06 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 24, 6:25 PM MDTHail 1.5Eads, CO
Jul 24, 6:47 PM MDTHail 2.5Eads, 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, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 165 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 1996-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1208 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 1996-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 5 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
1208 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1690 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
6.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 24, 12:06 PM MDT, 5 hours 55 minutes before
COZ060>081-250600-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
COLORADO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1205 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COLORADO COUNTIES:

ALAMOSA      BACA        BENT          CHAFFEE        CONEJOS
COSTILLA     CROWLEY     CUSTER        EL PASO        FREMONT
HUERFANO     KIOWA       LAS ANIMAS    MINERAL        OTERO
PROWERS      PUEBLO      RIO GRANDE    SAGUACHE       TELLER

...SEVERE WEATHER LIKELY AGAIN TODAY...

THE PRESTORM ENVIRONMENT OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON IS
VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF YESTERDAY.  THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS VERY BUOYANT
AND STRONGLY SHEARED.  ADDITIONALLY...ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
IS ON THE WAY.  CONSEQUENTLY...A NUMBER OF SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED
OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON.

DUE TO COLD AIR IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...VERY LARGE HAIL
IS AGAIN A MAJOR THREAT FROM STORMS TODAY.  THE OTHER MAJOR THREAT IS
TORNADOES AS STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL WIND SHEAR CAUSES STORMS TO ROTATE.
DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND LOCAL FLOODING ARE ALSO THREATS FROM
STORMS TODAY.

SPOTTERS SHOULD AGAIN REMAIN ON STANDBY AS ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY.

LW
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 1:21 PM MDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
COZ067-071-072-242025-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
121 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN TELLER AND EL PASO COUNTIES...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL TO THE
RAMPART RANGE...PALMER LAKE AND COLORADO SPRINGS AREAS BETWEEN
115 PM AND 2 PM MDT.

AT 115 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AT PUEBLO SHOWED
THUNDESTORMS IN NORTHERN TELLER COUNTY...NEAR WOODLAND PARK AND NEAR
THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 20
MPH.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAN BRING HEAVY RAIN...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS AS
WELL AS FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 2:18 PM MDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
COZ067-071>073-242120-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
217 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM THE RAMPART RANGE WILL MOVE ACROSS FORT
CARSON ONTO I-25 SHORTLY AFTER 215 PM MDT...

THESE STORMS WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH GUSTY
WINDS TO THE FORT CARSON...FOUNTAIN AREAS THROUGH 230 PM MDT...BEFORE
THEY HEAD TO THE SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY LINE.

AT 210 PM MDT THE STORMS WERE 5 MILES WEST OF FOUNTAIN...OVER FORT
CARSON.

ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM...5 MILES NORTHWEST OF CRIPPLE CREEK AT 210 PM MDT
WILL MOVE TO CRIPPLE CREEK BY 220 PM MDT. THIS STORM WILL ALSO BRING
SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN TO THE CRIPPLE CREEK...VIC&TOR
AREAS THROUGH 240 PM MDT.

GRAY
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 2:54 PM MDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
COZ067-071-073-242200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
253 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OFF THE FOOTHILLS AT MID AFTERNOON...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL ACROSS
HIGHWAY 119 AND THE FORT CARSON AREA BY 3 PM MDT.

AT 250 PM MDT THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF
FORT CARSON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 3:05 PM MDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
COZ071-073-242210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
305 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

...THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO PUEBLO BY 4 PM...

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL TO THE PUEBLO AREA BY 4 PM.

AT 300 PM THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF PUEBLO...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS FROM YOUR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 3:15 PM MDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
COZ063-064-242205-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
315 PM MDT WED JUL 24 1996

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY...

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL TO
EASTERN CONEJOS AND COSTILLA COUNTIES BETWEEN 315 PM AND 415 PM MDT.
THE STORM WILL MOVE TO LA JARA AND CROSS HIGHWAY 285 BY 320 PM...THEN
MOVE TO SAN LUIS IN COSTILLA COUNTY BY 415 PM MDT.

AT 312 PM MDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
ALAMOSA. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
IS EXPECTED.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE DURING A LIGHTNING STORM...FIND A LOW
SPOT. SHELTER YOURSELF UNDER SHORTER TREES. AVOID ISOLATED...TALL
TREES. STAY AWAY FROM WATER...POWER POLES AND METAL OBJECTS...
SUCH AS A FENCE ROW OR GOLF CLUBS. IF IN A GROUP...STAY APART. IF
SOMEONE IS STRUCK...OTHERS WILL BE ABLE TO HELP THE VICTIM.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEME"NTS ON THE DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION IN
THE VALLEY.

GRAY

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 24, 6:39 PM MDTTornado WarningPUBKiowa46 min
Jul 24, 7:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBBent60 min
Jul 24, 7:59 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBBent61 min
Jul 24, 9:11 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso49 min
Jul 24, 10:00 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso65 min
Jul 25, 2:02 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBEl Paso, Teller63 min
Jul 25, 3:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBHuerfano35 min
Jul 25, 4:36 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBLas Animas34 min
Jul 25, 5:21 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPUBLas Animas64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.