Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 25, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 29, 1997Elbert County, Lincoln County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 29, 1997, 9:55 PM MDT for Elbert County, Lincoln County, Colorado. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Jul 29, 1997, 9:55 PM MDT (03:55 UTC)
Expired: Jul 30, 1997, 12:00 AM MDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area: Whole counties

Counties Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:59 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, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 96 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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 300355
FFWDEN
COC039-073-300600-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD 
WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR EASTERN ELBERT AND CENTRAL LINCOLN 
COUNTIES.  

THE WARNING INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
     HUGO...KUTCH...LIMON...MATHESON...SIMLA...AND PUNKIN CENTER

AT 950 PM MDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST 
ELBERT AND CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE 
LOCATED FROM 8 MILES SOUTH OF LIMON THROUGH THE KUTCH AREA.  
THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING BETWEEN 2 AND 2.5 INCHES OF RAIN 
IN AN HOUR.  

THE LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED THAT INTERSTATE 70 WAS CLOSED
JUST WEST OF LIMON.  WATER AND MUD WAS FLOWING ACROSS THE ROAD
AND STREAMS WERE OVERFLOWING THEIR BANKS.  

THE STORMS WERE SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT...BUT A SLOW DECREASE IN 
INTENSITY.  THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT.  
HOWEVER...STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 5 INCHES OR MORE CAN BE EXPECTED
IN AREAS BETWEEN KUTCH AND HUGO.  

PERSONS LIVING NEAR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...INCLUDING BIG 
SANDY...LONG BRANCH...AND RUSH CREEKS...IN SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT AND 
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!  

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STjREAMS 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.

BARJENBRUCH

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, 7:20 PM MDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before

COZ035-038-300145-

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

...THUNDERSTORM MOVING TOWARD FORT COLLINS...

AT 715 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT COLLINS.  THESE STORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE
HORSETOOTH RESERVOIR AND FORT COLLINS AREA BETWEEN 800 AND 815 PM.

AT THIS TIME...THE STORMS WERE PRODUCING RAINFALL AMOUNTS LESS THAN
1/2 INCH.  THIS WOULD CAUSE NO ADDITIONAL FLOODING PROBLEMS.
HOWEVER...THE STORMS COULD STILL INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE OFF THE
FOOTHILLS.  PERSONS IN AND NEAR FORT COLLINS SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THE POTENTIAL OF ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL.

IF HEAVY RAIN DOES DEVELOP...FLOODING OF CREEKS AND STREAMS...
STREETS...DITCHES...AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BARJENBRUCH

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 7:40 PM MDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before

COZ046-047-049-300240-

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

...THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST
   WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DRIFT VERY SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN
WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES PRODUCING VERY
HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL.

AT 735 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL OVER OPEN RANGELAND ALONG INTERSTATE 70...10 MILES
NORTH OF LIMON.

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

A SECOND AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS FROMING OVER CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY
JUST SOUTH OF HUGO WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY AND WERE MOVING NORTHWEST
AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.  THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO COLLIDE WITH
STORMS OVER NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY DEVELOP WHEN THIS OCCURS LIKELY PROMPTING
ISSUANCE OF A FLASH FLOOD WARNING.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ANTON...ARRIBA...BOYERO...ELBA...GENOA...HUGO...
LAST CHANCE...LIMON...LINDON...THURMAN...WOODLIN SCHOOL AND WOODROW

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED
MOVE TO HIGH GROUND IF FLOODING OCCURS.

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, 8:50 PM MDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

COZ039-040-043-300600-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED FOR BOULDER...DENVER AND SOUTHERN
WELD COUNTIES...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE DENVER METRO AREA AND BOULDER AREAS
AS WELL AS WELD COUNTY SOUTH OF GREELEY HAS BEEN TERMINATED.  ONLY
SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ENTER THIS AREA
AND RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
LIGHT...THAT IS LESS THAN 1/2 INCH.

ALTHOUGH THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE DENVER
AND BOULDER AND GREELEY AREAS...THE REST OF NORTHEAST COLORADO
INCLUDING THE FOOTHILLS OF LARIMER COUNTY AS WELL AS DOUGLAS AND
ELBERT COUNTIES REMAINS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A NUMBER OF FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST COUNTY
INCLUDING LARIMER COUNTY NEAR FORT COLLINS...MORGAN AND NORTHEAST
WELD AND WESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES AND LINCOLN COUNTY.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR LOCAL NEWS SOURCES AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER WARNINGS AND BULLETINS.  REMEMBER THAT MOST
RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE ALREADY RUNNING HIGH AND THAT SOILS IN MOST
OF THE FRONT RANGE AND NORTHEAST COLORADO ARE SATURATED SO HEAVY
RAIN WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE RUNOFF AND RAPID RISING WATER LEVELS
IN STREAMS AND CREEKS.

END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 8:54 PM MDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

COZ039-040-043-300600-

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

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH CANCELLED FOR BOULDER...DENVER AND SOUTHERN
WELD COUNTIES...

THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE DENVER METRO AREA AND BOULDER AREAS
AS WELL AS WELD COUNTY SOUTH OF GREELEY HAS BEEN TERMINATED.  ONLY
SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ENTER THIS AREA
AND RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
LIGHT...THAT IS LESS THAN 1/2 INCH.

ALTHOUGH THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE DENVER
AND BOULDER AND GREELEY AREAS...THE REST OF NORTHEAST COLORADO
INCLUDING THE FOOTHILLS OF LARIMER COUNTY AS WELL AS DOUGLAS AND
ELBERT COUNTIES REMAINS UNDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A NUMBER OF FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST COUNTY
INCLUDING LARIMER COUNTY NEAR FORT COLLINS...MORGAN AND NORTHEAST
WELD AND WESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES AND LINCOLN COUNTY.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR LOCAL NEWS SOURCES AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER WARNINGS AND BULLETINS.  REMEMBER THAT MOST
RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE ALREADY RUNNING HIGH AND THAT SOILS IN MOST
OF THE FRONT RANGE AND NORTHEAST COLORADO ARE SATURATED SO HEAVY
RAIN WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE RUNOFF AND RAPID RISING WATER LEVELS
IN STREAMS AND CREEKS.

END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER

Local storm report, Jul 29, 9:49 PM MDT, 6 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
949 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FOR JULY 29 1997...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0343 PM    6 SE BENNETT              CO   TORNADO
07/29/97   ARAPAHOE                       NO DAMAGE REPORTED

0350 PM    1 S BYERS                 CO   TORNADO
07/29/97   ARAPAHOE                       NO DAMAGE REPORTED

HERRALD

Local storm report, Jul 29, 9:50 PM MDT, 5 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
949 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FOR JULY 29 1997...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0343 PM    6 SE BENNETT              CO   TORNADO
07/29/97   ARAPAHOE                       NO DAMAGE REPORTED

0350 PM    1 S BYERS                 CO   TORNADO
07/29/97   ARAPAHOE                `       NO DAMAGE REPORTED

HERRALD

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 29, 6:24 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Elbert	96 min
Jul 29, 7:03 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Logan, Weld	72 min
Jul 29, 7:59 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Elbert, Lincoln	2 hr
Jul 29, 8:00 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Logan, Weld	90 min
Jul 29, 8:15 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Larimer	3 hr
Jul 29, 8:20 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Morgan	55 min
Jul 29, 9:20 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Morgan	40 min
Jul 29, 9:40 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Logan, Weld	80 min
Jul 29, 10:10 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Morgan	50 min
Jul 29, 10:50 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Logan, Morgan, Washington, Weld	2 hr
Jul 29, 11:26 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Elbert, Lincoln	2 hr
Jul 30, 2:25 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Larimer	110 min
Jul 30, 3:25 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Boulder, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson	2 hr
Jul 30, 4:05 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Boulder, Jefferson	115 min
Jul 30, 4:05 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Boulder, Jefferson	115 min
Jul 30, 4:30 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Logan	14 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Colorado, 1997 Every 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.