Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 29, 1997Elbert County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 29, 1997, 6:24 PM MDT for Elbert County, Colorado. It was in force for 96 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Jul 29, 1997, 6:24 PM MDT (00:24 UTC)
Expired
Jul 29, 1997, 8:00 PM MDT
In force
96 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Elbert County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:24 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, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 88 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 1997-07-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 154 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 1997-07-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
154 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-82 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1447 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
67 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 300024
FFWDEN
COC039-300200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
624 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS EXPANDED AND EXTENDED THE 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ELBERT COUNTY.  THE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 800 PM FOR... 

IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
     EASTERN ELBERT

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     AGATE...MATHESON...CEDAR POINT...AND SIMLA

AT 621 PM MDT WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS 
WITH TORRENTIAL RAIN FROM AGATE TO 5 MILES WEST OF MATHESON.  THESE 
STORMS WERE PRODUCING BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR OR 
LESS.  

THIS EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS 
AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES AND ARROYOS...AS 
WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE. IF YOUR VEHIC6LE STALLS, ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK
HIGHER GROUND.

BARJENBRUCH 

LAT...LON 3948 10373 3920 10377 3912 10399 3914 10406
          3915 10425 3952 10400

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 29, 3:50 PM MDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
COZ040-041-045-292245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
350 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAIN AND FUNNEL CLOUDS
IN RURAL AREAS JUST EAST OF THE DENVER METRO AREA...

AT 345 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS
WESTERN ELBERT...AND CENTRAL ARAPAHOE AND ADAMS COUNTIES.  THESE
STORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN THE PAST HOUR ALONG A NEARLY STATIONARY WIND
SHIFT BOUNDARY INDICATED ON DOPPLER RADAR.

DOPPLER RADAR HAS ESTIMATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 1 1/2 INCH OF
RAIN IN THE PAST HOUR OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST ELBERT AND SOUTH
CENTRAL ARAPAHOE COUNTIES.

AT 343 PM MDT A SKYWARN STORM SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 6
MILES SOUTH OF BYERS.

THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BENNETT...OR
ABOUT 28 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DENVER.

STORMS WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR SOUTHEASTERN AURORA...ARAPAHOE PARK...BENNETT...
BYERS...COUNTRY GARDENS...ELIZABETH...FRANKTOWN...KIOWA...LEADER...
MANILA VILLAGE...PARKER...PONDEROSA PARK...STRASBURG...THE PINERY AND
WATKINS

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

FUNNEL CLOUDS...HEAVY RAIN...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS MAY OCCUR WITH
THESE STORM.  HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES
AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS AS
THEY MAY BE WASHED OUT. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY
ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD
WATERS.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 5:13 PM MDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
COZ044-300015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
513 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING A FUNNEL CLOUD AND HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
   MORGAN COUNTY...

AT 505 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN MORGAN COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS INDICATED ON RADAR 3 MILES EAST OF WIGGINS...OR ABOUT 12
MILES WEST OF FORT MORGAN.

RADAR HAS ESTIMATED FROM 1 TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE PAST HOUR...WITH NEAR 2 INCHES ESTIMATED 6
MILES SOUTH OF WIGGINS ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 52.  HEAVY RAINS FALLING
ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF FIELDS...
DITCHES AND LOW LANDS.

IN ADDITION...AT 500 PM MDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 8
MILES SOUTHEAST OF WIGGINS...OR ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT
MORGAN.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ADENA SCHOOL...ANTELOPE SPRINGS...FORT MORGAN...
LOG LANE VILLAGE...TWELVE-MILE CORNER...WELDONA AND WIGGINS

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.  AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT
CROSS FLOODED ROADS AS THEY MAY BE WASHED OUT. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL
STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF
THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 5:15 PM MDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
COZ044-300015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
513 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING A FUNNEL CLOUD AND HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
   MORGAN COUNTY...

AT 505 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN MORGAN COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS INDICATED ON RADAR 3 MILES EAST OF WIGGINS...OR ABOUT 12
MILES WEST OF FORT MORGAN.

RADAR HAS ESTIMATED FROM 1 TO 1 1/2 INCHES OF RAIN FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE PAST HOUR...WITH NEAR 2 INCHES ESTIMATED 6
MILES SOUTH OF WIGGINS ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 52.  HEAVY RAINS FALLING
ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF FIELDS...
DITCHES AND LOW LANDS.

IN ADDITION...AT 500 PM MDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 8
MILES SOUTHEAST OF WIGGINS...OR ABOUT 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT
MORGAN.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ADENA SCHOOL...ANTELOPE SPRINGS...FORT MORGAN...
LOG LANE VILLAGE...TWELVE-MILE CORNER...WELDONA AND WIGGINS

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.  AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT
CR<OSS FLOODED ROADS AS THEY MAY BE WASHED OUT. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL
STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF
THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 6:14 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
COZ046-049-300145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
615 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...WEATHER CONDITIONS RIGHT FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS
IN NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST INTO VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
LYING ACROSS NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTINES IN NORTHEAST
COLORADO WILL LIKELY FUEL HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN
620 AND 745 PM MDT.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AS OF 600 PM WAS ALREADY
INDICATED NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN AKRON AND ANTON.
THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR
FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST ACROSS WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN
LINCOLN COUNTIES AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN FALLING ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF DRY
CREEK BEDS...FIELDS...DITCHES AND LOW LANDS.  LOW LYING ROADS MAY
ALSO BECOME SUBMERGED OR WASHED" OUT BY FLOOD WATERS. BE PREPARED TO
MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGH GROUND IF HIGH WATERS ARE OBSERVED.

NORTHEAST COLORADO REMAINS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT
MDT TONIGHT.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 6:15 PM MDT, 9 minutes before
COZ046-049-300145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
615 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...WEATHER CONDITIONS RIGHT FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS
IN NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST INTO VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
LYING ACROSS NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTINES IN NORTHEAST
COLORADO WILL LIKELY FUEL HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN
620 AND 745 PM MDT.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AS OF 600 PM WAS ALREADY
INDICATED NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN AKRON AND ANTON.
THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR
FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST ACROSS WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN
LINCOLN COUNTIES AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN FALLING ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF DRY
CREEK BEDS...FIELDS...DITCHES AND LOW LANDS.  LOW LYING ROADS MAY
ALSO BECOME SUBMERGED OR WASHED OUT BY FLOOD WATERS. BE PREPARED TO
MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGH GROUND IF HIGH WATERS ARE OBSERVED.

NORTHEAST COLORADO REMAINS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT
MDT TONIGHT.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 6:15 PM MDT, 9 minutes before
COZ046-049-300145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
615 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...WEATHER CONDITIONS RIGHT FOR HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS
IN NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST INTO VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
LYING ACROSS NORTHERN LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST
COLORADO WILL LIKELY FUEL HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN
620 AND 745 PM MDT.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AS OF 600 PM WAS ALREADY
INDICATED NEW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN AKRON AND ANTON.
THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR
FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST ACROSS WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN
LINCOLN COUNTIES AT 10 TO 15 MILES PER HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN FALLING ON ALREADY SATURATED GROUND MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF DRY
CREEK BEDS...FIELDS...DITCHES AND LOW LANDS.  LOW LYING ROADS MAY
ALSO BECOME SUBMERGED OR WASHED OUT BY FLOOD WATERS. BE PREPARED TO
MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGH GROUND IF HIGH WATERS ARE OBSERVED.

NORTHEAST COLORADO REMAINS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT
MDT TONIGHT.

BAKER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 29, 7:03 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan, Weld72 min
Jul 29, 7:59 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln2 hr
Jul 29, 8:00 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan, Weld90 min
Jul 29, 8:15 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 29, 8:20 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUMorgan55 min
Jul 29, 9:20 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUMorgan40 min
Jul 29, 9:40 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan, Weld80 min
Jul 29, 9:55 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln2 hr
Jul 29, 10:10 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUMorgan50 min
Jul 29, 10:50 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan, Morgan, Washington, Weld2 hr
Jul 29, 11:26 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln2 hr
Jul 30, 2:25 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULarimer110 min
Jul 30, 3:25 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUBoulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson2 hr
Jul 30, 4:05 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUBoulder, Jefferson115 min
Jul 30, 4:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUBoulder, Jefferson115 min
Jul 30, 4:30 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULogan14 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 1997Every flash flood warning in 1997

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.