Alert archive / Colorado / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 29, 1997Elbert County, Lincoln County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this flash flood warning at Jul 29, 1997, 11:26 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 outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued: Jul 29, 1997, 11:26 PM MDT (05:26 UTC)
Expired: Jul 30, 1997, 1:30 AM MDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:26 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, 5.4 hours before the alert went out and 108 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 300534
FFWDEN
COC039-073-300730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1126 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 130 AM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
     SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT AND CENTRAL LINCOLN

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     HUGO...KUTCH AND PUNKIN CENTER

AT 1126 PM MDT WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY 
RAIN OVER SOUTHEAST ELBERT AND CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES.  RADAR
ESTIMATES SHOW THAT RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR HAS BEEN
OCCURRING IN THIS AREA WITH AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES IN SOME LOCATIONS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING THIS RAIN HAVE BEEN NEARLY STATIONARY
AND ARE SHOWING FEW SIGNS OF WEAKENING.  THEY COULD DUMP ANOTHER
2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN BY 130 AM MDT PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS
NEAR KUTCH...HUGO AND PUNKIN CENTER.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM 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.
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!  

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT
QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY
IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

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 VEHICLE STALLS, ABANDON IT IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK
HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
DENVER.

LAT...LON 3925 10344 3872 10327 3876 10362 3860 10405
          3915 10405

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, 8:50 PM MDT, 2 hours 36 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, 2 hours 32 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

Local storm report, Jul 29, 9:49 PM MDT, 1 hour 37 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, 1 hour 36 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

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 11:00 PM MDT, 26 minutes before

COZ030-032>50-300800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1100 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...MORE HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

ONCE AGAIN THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS DEVELOPED OVER
NORTHEAST COLORADO. MONSOONAL MOISTURE IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE CONTINUED TO STREAM INTO THE STATE TODAY AND COMBINE WITH
A MOIST SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE TO CREATE HEAVY
THUNDERSTORM RAINS MAINLY ON THE EASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO.

NUMEROUS FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND URBAN AND SMALL STREAM ADVISORIES
WERE ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LUCKILY THE PROBLEM AREA
THIS EVENING WAS NOT AROUND THE FORT COLLINS AREA...HOWEVER IN
EXTREME NORTHEAST LARIMER COUNTY A FLASH FLOOD WARNING WAS ISSUED.
VIRGINIA DALE RECORDED 1.94 INCHES IN ONLY AN HOUR...BETWEEN
APPROXIMATELY 8 AND 9 PM. ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING TROUBLE SPOTS
WERE IN ELBERT COUNTY...CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...NORTHERN HALF OF
MORGAN COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN WELD...AND WESTERN LOGAN COUNTY.
DOPPLER RADAR STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES INDICATED 5 TO 6
INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN JUST WEST OF FORT MORGAN BY 1045 PM. STATE
HIGHWAY 52 HAD TO BE CLOSED JUST NORTH OF FORT MORGAN TO STATE
HIGHWAY 14 DUE TO FLOODING. IN ADDITION...IN SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT AND
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES TOTAL RAINFALL HAD REACHED UP TO 3 TO 5
INCHES. INTERSTATE 70 WAS CLOSED JUST WEST OF LIMON DUE TO WATER AND
MUD FLOWING OVER THE ROADWAY.

ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINS CAME A COUPLE REPORTS OF TORNADO. ONE
TORNADO WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BENNETT AT 343 PM
AND ANOTHER WAS REPORTED 1 MILE SOUTH OF BYERS AT 350 PM.
HOWEVER...NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED WITH THESE TORNADOES.

AT 11PM...RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
HEAVY RAINS PERSISTING OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY
WAS OCCURRING EAST OF A LINE FROM...BRIGGSDALE...TO PROSPECT
VALLEY...TO CASTLE ROCK. THE STORMS WERE SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT.

MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR TOMORROW
OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO.

HERRALD

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 11:07 PM MDT, 19 minutes before

COZ030-032>50-300800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1100 PM MDT TUE JUL 29 1997

...MORE HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

ONCE AGAIN THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS DEVELOPED OVER
NORTHEAST COLORADO. MONSOONAL MOISTURE IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE CONTINUED TO STREAM INTO THE STATE TODAY AND COMBINE WITH
A MOIST SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE TO CREATE HEAVY
THUNDERSTORM RAINS MAINLY ON THE EASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO.

NUMEROUS FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND URBAN AND SMALL STREAM ADVISORIES
WERE ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LUCKILY THE PROBLEM AREA
THIS EVENING WAS NOT AROUND THE FORT COLLINS AREA...HOWEVER IN
EXTREME NORTHEAST LARIMER COUNTY A FLASH FLOOD WARNING WAS ISSUED.
VIRGINIA DALE RECORDED 1.94 INCHES IN ONLY AN HOUR...BETWEEN
APPROXIMATELY 8 AND 9 PM. ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING TROUBLE SPOTS
WERE IN ELBERT COUNTY...CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...NORTHERN HALF OF
MORGAN COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN WELD...AND WESTERN LOGAN COUNTY.
DOPPLER RADAR STORM TOTAL PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES INDICATED 5 TO 6
INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN JUST WEST OF FORT MORGAN BY 1045 PM. STATE
HIGHWAY 52 HAD TO BE CLOSED JUST NORTH OF FORT MORGAN TO STATE
HIGHWAY 14 DUE TO FLOODING. IN ADDITION...IN SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT AND
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTIES TOTAL RAINFALL HAD REACHED UP TO 3 TO 5
INCHES. INTERSTATE 70 WAS CLOSED JUST WEST OF LIMON DUE TO WATER AND
MUD FLOWING OVER THE ROADWAY.

ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINS CAME A COUPLE REPORTS OF TORNADO. ONE
TORNADO WAS REPORTEDLY SEEN 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BENNETT AT 343 PM
AND ANOTHER WAS REPORTED 1 MILE SOUTH OF BYERS AT 350 PM.
HOWEVER...NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED WITH THESE TORNADOES.

AT 11PM...RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH
HEAVY RAINS PERSISTING OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY
WAS OCCURRING EAST OF A LINE FROM...BRIGGSDALE...TO PROSPECT
VALLEY...TO CASTLE ROCK. THE STORMS WERE SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT.

MORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR TOMORROW
OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO.

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, 9:55 PM MDT	Flash Flood Warning	BOU	Elbert, Lincoln	2 hr
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 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.