Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1997, 2:42 PM MDT for Adams County, Boulder County, Jefferson County, Colorado. It was in force for 48 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
- May 24, 1997, 2:42 PM MDT (20:42 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 1997, 3:30 PM MDT
- In force
- 48 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
Counties Adams County, CO, Boulder County, CO, Jefferson County, CO
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 149 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1596 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 16 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 27 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KDEN 242043 RRA
SVRDEN
COC001-013-059-123-242130-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
242 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM MDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
SOUTHEASTERN BOULDER...NORTHEASTERN JEFFERSON...NORTHWESTERN
ADAMS AND SOUTHWESTERN WELD
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
NORTHEASTERN ARVADA...EAST CENTRAL BOULDER...BROOMFIELD...
LONGMONT...NORTHGLENN...THORNTON...WESTMINSTER...BRIGHTON...
DACONO...ERIE...FEDERAL HEIGHTS...FIRESTONE...FREDERICK...
LAFAYETTE...LOUISVILLE AND SUPERIOR
AT 215 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WEST CENTRAL BROOMFIELD...OR ABOUT 14 MILES
NORTHWEST OF DENVER.
AT 215 PM MDT THE PUBLIC REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WEST
CENTRAL BROOMFIELD...OR ABOUT 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF DENVER.
THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.
HAIL UP TO 1 INCH DIAMETER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM IN THE
TOWN OF BROOMFIELD. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR
CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.
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 4002 10475 3979 10502 3998 10524 4021 10510
rWhat 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, May 24, 12:45 PM MDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1245 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS FORMING OVER FOOTHILLS... MOIST UNSTABLE AIR OVER COLORADO COMBINED WITH ABUNDANT SUNSHINE THIS MORNING HAS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS IN LARIMER...BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. ANOTHER LINE OF BUILDUPS WAS FORMING OVER THE PLAINS STRETCHING FROM EASTERN ADAMS COUNTY...NORTH OF BYERS...SOUTH TO WESTERN ELBERT COUNTY...BETWEEN KIOWA AND AGATE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OF 3/4 INCH DIAMETER OR GREATER. WINDS ALOFT ARE RELATIVELY WEAK SO THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING AND COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH AMOUNTS OF 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR. RAINS OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE A HAZARD THIS AFTERNOON WHERE-EVER THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRESENT. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 24, 12:47 PM MDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1245 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS FORMING OVER FOOTHILLS... MOIST UNSTABLE AIR OVER COLORADO COMBINED WITH ABUNDANT SUNSHINE THIS MORNING HAS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS IN LARIMER...BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. ANOTHER LINE OF BUILDUPS WAS FORMING OVER THE PLAINS STRETCHING FROM EASTERN ADAMS COUNTY...NORTH OF BYERS...SOUTH TO WESTERN ELBERT COUNTY...BETWEEN KIOWA AND AGATE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OF 3/4 INCH DIAMETER OR GREATER. WINDS ALOFT ARE RELATIVELY WEAK SO THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING AND COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH AMOUNTS OF 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR. RAINS OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE A HAZARD THIS AFTERNOON WHERE-EVER THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRESENT. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 24, 1:35 PM MDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 135 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN NORTHEAST COLORADO... THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE FOOTHILLS IN LARIMER... BOULDER...JEFFERSON...CLEAR CREEK AND GILPIN COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO PRESENT IN ELBERT...EASTERN ADAMS AND EASTERN ARAPHOE COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE TOWN OF BYERS WHERE PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT 135 PM ALONG WITH MODERATE RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ABOUT 10 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OF 3/4 INCH DIAMETER OR GREATER. WINDS ALOFT ARE RELATIVELY WEAK SO THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING AND COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH AMOUNTS OF 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR. RAINS OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE A HAZARD THIS AFTERNOON WHERE-EVER THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRESENT. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 24, 1:36 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 135 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN NORTHEAST COLORADO... THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE FOOTHILLS IN LARIMER... BOULDER...JEFFERSON...CLEAR CREEK AND GILPIN COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO PRESENT IN ELBERT...EASTERN ADAMS AND EASTERN ARAPHOE COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR THE TOWN OF BYERS WHERE PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT 135 PM ALONG WITH MODERATE RAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ABOUT 10 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OF 3/4 INCH DIAMETER OR GREATER. WINDS ALOFT ARE RELATIVELY WEAK SO THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING AND COULD PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH AMOUNTS OF 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR. RAINS OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE A HAZARD THIS AFTERNOON WHERE-EVER THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRESENT. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 24, 2:20 PM MDT, 22 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 220 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO... THUNDERSTORMS ARE RUMBLING OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHEAST COLORADO IN ADAMS...ARAPAHOE...SOUTHHERN WELD...SOUTHERN MORGAN...AND IN THE DENVER METRO AREA. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS THE BIGGEST THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AT THE PRESENT TIME BUT AS THEY INTENSIFY DURING THE AFTERNOON LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN. EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR THE TOWN OF BYERS. ALL THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT 10 MPH AND COULD DUMP AS MUCH AS 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR. RAIN OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
Special weather statement, May 24, 2:21 PM MDT, 21 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-242200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 220 PM MDT SAT MAY 24 1997 ...THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO... THUNDERSTORMS ARE RUMBLING OVER THE FRONT RANGE FOOTHILLS AND NORTHEAST COLORADO IN ADAMS...ARAPAHOE...SOUTHHERN WELD...SOUTHERN MORGAN...AND IN THE DENVER METRO AREA. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS THE BIGGEST THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AT THE PRESENT TIME BUT AS THEY INTENSIFY DURING THE AFTERNOON LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN. EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED NEAR THE TOWN OF BYERS. ALL THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT 10 MPH AND COULD DUMP AS MUCH AS 3/4 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR. RAIN OF THIS INTENSITY COULD CAUSE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RUN BANKFULL. LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS IS ALSO LIKELY FROM THE HEAVY RAIN. ANYONE IN NORTHEAST COLORADO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND TAKE NORMAL PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM OF LIGHTNING OR HAIL. BE ALERT TO WATER LEVELS IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY RIVERS OR STREAMS OR IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN AREAS WHERE HEAVY RAIN OCCURS. MONITOR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA ODR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER BULLETINS...STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS. END...BOODA...WSFO DENVER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2:42 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 48 min |
| May 24, 3:03 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Morgan, Weld | 42 min |
| May 24, 3:24 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 36 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.