Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 155, NWS Goodland, KS

July 6, 1997Yuma County, Colorado

NWS Goodland, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 6, 1997, 6:00 PM MDT for Yuma County, Colorado. It was in force for 65 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 6, 1997, 6:00 PM MDT (00:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 6, 1997, 7:05 PM MDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Yuma County, CO

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 6, 6:05 PM MDTHail 0.75Wray, CO
Jul 6, 6:20 PM MDTHail 1.75Wray, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 6, 3:15 PM MDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 70 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 1997-07-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 738 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1997-07-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
738 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-173 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
110 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 KGLD 070001 RRA
SVRGLD
COC125-070105-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
600 PM MDT SUN JUL 6 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
  CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL YUMA COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN COLORADO

* UNTIL 705 PM MDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
  9 MILES NORTHWEST OF WRAY               AROUND 605 PM MDT
  HWY 385...8 MILES NORTH OF WRAY         AROUND 615 PM MDT
  LAIRD                                   AROUND 630 PM MDT
  7 MILES NORTH OF LAIRD                  AROUND 630 PM MDT

* AT 558 PM MDT...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF WRAY MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UN2TIL 9 PM MDT FOR YUMA COUNTY.

GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES.

MARTELLO

What 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.

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 6, 2:03 PM MDT, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 2:03 PM MDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
203 PM MDT (303 PM CDT) SUN JUL 6 1997

PROBLEM FOR THIS PACKAGE CONTINUES TO BE PROBABILITY OF
THUNDERSTORMS.

MODELS ARE IN GROSS AGREEMENT...BUT HAVE LEANED A LITTLE TO THE ETA
GIVEN ITS BETTER RESOLUTION OF THE LEE TROUGH AND LOW LEVEL
RESOLUTION TO HANDLE OUTFLOW FROM NORTHERN PLAINS CONVECTION
TONIGHT.  EXPECT GOOD LOW LEVEL INFLOW OF RICH THETA-E AIR INTO
NORTHERN PLAINS OVER NEXT 24-36 HOURS...AND UPPER PROGS SEEM
REASONABLE IN ENHANCING RESULTANT VORT MAXES IN OUT PERIODS.

TONIGHT WILL BE DEALING WITH CONVECTION CURRENTLY FIRING OVER
EASTERN COLORADO ALONG LEE TROUGH AND BOUNDARIES TO THE EAST OF
THAT.  SHORTWAVE BRUSHING NORTHERN 3/4 OF CWA WILL HELP CONVECTION
ALONG OVERNIGHT WITH RAPID CLEARING IN ITS WAKE.

NORTHERN PLAINS ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT WILL SEND OUTFLOW/FRONT INTO
NORTHERN PORTION OF CWA BY 18Z MONDAY...WITH FRONT STALLING ALONG A
ROUGHLY YUMA COLORADO...KGLD...KMCK LINE.  ALTHOUGH UPPER DYNAMICS
LACKING...DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AND CONVERGENCE ALONG FRONT MAY BE
ENOUGH FOR WIDELY SCATTERED AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING CONVECTION.

ANOTHER...STRONGER...SHORTWAVE PROGGED TO MOVE IN MONDAY NIGHT TO
HELP ORGANIZE ACTIVITY ALONG RETREATING FRONT...SO HIGHER POPS HERE.

TUESDAY...CANNOT RULE OUT CONVECTION COMPLETELY...BUT AIRMASS DRIES
OUT AND WILL NEED MOST OF DAY TO RECOVER AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER
SHORTWAVE.  WEAK BOUNDARY TO SOUTH OF CWA EXPECTED TO INTERCEPT LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE DURING DAY THUS HAVE SUNNY/MOSTLY SUNNY IN FORECAST
WITH EYE ON POSSIBLE ACTIVITY TUESDAY NIGHT AS MID LEVEL MOISTURE
ASSOCIATED WITH SHORTWAVE ARRIVES AND BOUNDARY BEGINS TO MOVE NORTH.

TEMPS ARE GENERALLY ALONG GUIDANCE FOR MINS...BUT TUESDAY HIGHS LOOK
TOO COOL GIVEN INCREASING LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES AND HEIGHTS.  WENT
PERSISTENCE WITH MONDAY MAXES SOUTH OF EXPECTED MONDAY FRONTAL STALL
AND UP A CATEGORY IN THE NORTHERN THIRD.

ENTWISTLE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 6, 3:07 PM MDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
COZ090>092-KSZ001-002-013-014-027-028-041-042-NEZ079-080-062210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
307 PM MDT (407 PM CDT) SUN JUL 6 1997

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FORM EASTERN KANSAS AND EXTREME
WESTERN PORTIONS OF KANSAS AND NEBRASKA UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10 PM CDT)...

THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EASTWARD FROM CENTRAL COLORADO ARE EXPECTED TO
INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE INTO EXTREMELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGH PLAINS OF COLORADO AND WESTERN KANSAS. IN
ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA ARE EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION.

SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35
MPH...WILL COMBINE WITH NORTHWEST WINDS ALOFT...TO PRODUCE A LARGE
CHANGE IN WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION WITH HEIGHT. THIS LARGE
DIFFERENCE LEADS TO CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO FORM. HAIL LARGER
THAN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH AND WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR HIGHER
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THEREFORE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF THE TRI-STATE AREA.

THIS TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF YUMA...KIT CARSON...AND
CHEYENNE IN COLORADO...AS WELL AS...DUNDY...AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES
OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. THE WESTERN KANSAS COUNTIES OF CHEYENNE...
RAWLINS...SHERMAN...THOMAS...WALLACE...LOGAN...GREELEY...AND WICHITA
ARE ALSO IN THIS WATCH. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT
(10 PM CDT).

DURING A TORNADO WATCH...BE READY TO MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR TO A
SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED OR IF A TORNADO IS SIGHTED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...CABLE TELEVISION...OR
TELEVISION FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.

BARKER
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 3:18 PM MDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before
COZ090>092-KSZ001-002-013-014-027-028-041-042-NEZ079-080-062210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
307 PM MDT (407 PM CDT) SUN JUL 6 1997

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM EASTERN COLORADO AND
EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF KANSAS AND NEBRASKA UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10
PM CDT)...

THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EASTWARD FROM CENTRAL COLORADO ARE EXPECTED TO
INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE INTO EXTREMELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGH PLAINS OF COLORADO AND WESTERN KANSAS. IN
ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA ARE EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION.

SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 35
MPH...WILL COMBINE WITH NORTHWEST WINDS ALOFT...TO PRODUCE A LARGE
CHANGE IN WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION WITH HEIGHT. THIS LARGE
DIFFERENCE LEADS TO CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO FORM. HAIL LARGER
THAN THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH AND WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH OR HIGHER
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THEREFORE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF THE TRI-STATE AREA.

THIS TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF YUMA...KIT CARSON...AND
CHEYENNE IN COLORADO...AS WELL AS...DUNDY...AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES
OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. THE WESTERN KANSAS COUNTIES OF CHEYENNE...
RAWLINS...SHERMAN...THOMAS...WALLACE...LOGAN...GREELEY...AND WICHITA
ARE ALSO IN THIS WATCH. THE WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT
(10 PM CDT).

DURING A TORNADO WATCH...BE READY TO MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR TO A
SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED OR IF A TORNADO IS SIGHTED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...CABLE TELEVISION...OR
TELEVISION FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.

BARKER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 6, 6:56 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDYuma49 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.