Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 139, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 23, 1997, 6:11 PM MDT for Phillips County, Sedgwick County, Colorado. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report came from 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, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 23, 1997, 6:11 PM MDT (00:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 23, 1997, 6:45 PM MDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
Counties Phillips County, CO, Sedgwick County, CO
The radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 165 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:11 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 6:30 PM MDT | Hail 0.75 | Sedgwick, 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, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 120 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1142 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2544 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -8 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 119 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
506
WUUS1 KDEN 240014 RRA
SVRDEN
COC095-115-240045-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
611 PM MDT SAT AUG 23 1997
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
NORTH CENTRAL PHILLIPS AND SOUTH CENTRAL SEDGWICK
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
FAIRFIELD
AT 611 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF FAIRFIELD...OR ABOUT 13
MILES SOUTHWEST OF JULESBURG.
THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.
VERY LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.
HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT
CROSS FLOODED ROADS AS THEY MAY BE WASHED OUT. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL
STREAMS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED
BY FLOOD WATERS.
THIS WARNING REPLACES THE EARLIER WARNING FOR CENTRAL PHILLIPS
COUNTY.
REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN DENVER.
LAT...LON 4082 10235 4063 10235 4064 10256 4085 10245
GIMMESTADWhat 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, Aug 23, 3:20 PM MDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
COZ046-232215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 320 PM MDT SAT AUG 23 1997 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTH CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY... AT 317 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF GENOA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF LIMON. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN OR NEAR GENOA A SPOTTER REPORTED MARBLE SIZED HAIL WITH THE STORM. IN ADDITION RADAR INDICATED THE STORM MAY HAVE PRODUCED UP TO 1 INCH OF RAINFALL. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMIDIATELY. HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. 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. FMC
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 3:23 PM MDT, 2 hours 48 minutes before
COZ046-232215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 320 PM MDT SAT AUG 23 1997 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTH CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY... AT 317 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF GENOA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF LIMON. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN OR NEAR GENOA A SPOTTER REPORTED MARBLE SIZED HAIL WITH THE STORM. IN ADDITION RADAR INDICATED THE STORM MAY HAVE PRODUCED UP TO 1 INCH OF RAINFALL. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMIDIATELY. HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. 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. FM:C
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 3:25 PM MDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
COZ046-232215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO...CORRECTED 325 PM MDT SAT AUG 23 1997 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTH CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY... AT 317 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF GENOA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF LIMON. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MILES PER HOUR. A SPOTTER REPORTED MARBLE SIZED HAIL WITH THE STORM. IN ADDITION RADAR INDICATED THE STORM MAY HAVE PRODUCED UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PERSONS IN OR NEAR GENOA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMIDIATELY. HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. 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. FMC
Special weather statement, Aug 23, 3:26 PM MDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
COZ046-232215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO...CORRECTED 325 PM MDT SAT AUG 23 1997 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTH CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY... AT 317 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF GENOA...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF LIMON. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MILES PER HOUR. A SPOTTER REPORTED MARBLE SIZED HAIL WITH THE STORM. IN ADDITION RADAR INDICATED THE STORM MAY HAVE PRODUCED UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. PERSONS IN OR NEAR GENOA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMIDIATELY. HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS. 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 THREATEbNED BY FLOOD WATERS. FMC
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 6:45 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Phillips | 45 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1997Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.