Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 167, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 16, 1998, 1:41 PM MDT for Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado. It was in force for 49 min. 2 reports 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
- Oct 16, 1998, 1:41 PM MDT (19:41 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 16, 1998, 2:30 PM MDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Denver County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1:50 PM MDT | Hail 1.5 | South Denver, CO | |
| Oct 16, 2:34 PM MDT | Hail 1 | Aurora, 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 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 143 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
- 222 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -118 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 629 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 60 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 48 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 134 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
312 WUUS1 KDEN 161943 RRA SVRDEN COC001-005-031-162030- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 141 PM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN ADAMS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO NORTHWESTERN ARAPAHOE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO DENVER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF DENVER * UNTIL 230 PM MDT * AT 137 PM MDT AMATEUR RADIO WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER WEST CENTRAL DENVER...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. GOLF BALL HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN DENVER...AND HAIL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 6 INCHES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE DENVER AND AURORA. IN ADDITION TO DAMAGE FROM THE HAIL...LOCAL FLOODING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. 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 3968 10502 3961 10472 3977 10470 3977 10498 GIMMESTAD
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.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 11:00 AM MDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
COZ038-039-161745- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1100 AM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...PERSISTENT RAIN SHOWERS FALLING OVER EASTERN LARIMER AND NORTHEASTERN BOULDER COUNTIES THIS MORNING... AT 11 AM MDT THIS MORNING...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE AN AREA OF MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS FALLING ACROSS THE NORTHERN URBAN CORRIDOR FROM AROUND LONGMONT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE FORT COLLINS AREA. RAINFALL ESTIMATES AND REPORTS INDICATE AMOUNTS FROM THREE TENTHS OF AN INCH TO ONE INCH HAVE FALLEN OVER THE AREA...WITH JUST OVER ONE INCH AROUND LOVELAND. MINOR STREET FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED IN LOVELAND AND WESTERN FORT COLLINS. SMALL HAIL...ICE PELLETS...AND SCATTERED LIGHTNING HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE SHOWERS. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS CAN CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY ...COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING. RJK
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 11:25 AM MDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-170600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1125 AM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COLORADO COUNTIES ADAMS ARAPAHOE BOULDER CLEAR CREEK DENVER DOUGLAS ELBERT GILPIN GRAND JACKSON JEFFERSON LARIMER LINCOLN LOGAN MORGAN PARK PHILLIPS SEDGWICK SUMMIT WASHINGTON WELD SYNOPSIS: AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN UTAH ALONG WITH MOIST NORTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW OVER MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO WILL CREATE AN UNSTABLE WEATHER SITUATION FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. CURRENTLY...MODERATE SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ALONG THE FRONT RANGE OF WELD AND BOULDER COUNTIES. SNOW SHOWERS WERE ALSO SCATTERED OVER THE HIGHER AREAS OF THE REST OF LARIMER AS WELL AS JACKSON COUNTIES. MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL LIFT FROM THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL STORM WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...WITH SNOW SHOWERS BECOMING LIKELY IN THE ALPINE AREAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER WITH THE FREEZING LEVELS CONTINUING TO LOWER THROUGH THE DAY...HAIL AND OR ICE PELLETS WILL BE A GOOD BET WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS. SOME MINOR FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. SATURDAY'S WEATHER WILL SEE CONTINUED MOISTURE...CLOUDINESS...AND PRECIPITATION FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY...WITH SLOW IMPROVEMENT FOR THE LATER HALF. RJK
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 11:25 AM MDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-170600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1125 AM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COLORADO COUNTIES ADAMS ARAPAHOE BOULDER CLEAR CREEK DENVER DOUGLAS ELBERT GILPIN GRAND JACKSON JEFFERSON LARIMER LINCOLN LOGAN MORGAN PARK PHILLIPS SEDGWICK SUMMIT WASHINGTON WELD SYNOPSIS: AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN UTAH ALONG WITH MOIST NORTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW OVER MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO WILL CREATE AN UNSTABLE WEATHER SITUATION FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. CURRENTLY...MODERATE SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ALONG THE FRONT RANGE OF WELD AND BOULDER COUNTIES. SNOW SHOWERS WERE ALSO SCATTERED OVER THE HIGHER AREAS OF THE REST OF LARIMER AS WELL AS JACKSON COUNTIES. MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL LIFT FROM THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL STORM WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...WITH SNOW SHOWERS BECOMING LIKELY IN THE ALPINE AREAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER WITH THE FREEZING LEVELS CONTINUING TO LOWER THROUGH THE DAY...HAIL AND OR ICE PELLETS WILL BE A GOOD BET WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS. SOME MINOR FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. SATURDAY'S WEATHER WILL SEE CONTINUED MOISTURE...CLOUDINESS...AND PRECIPITATION FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY...WITH SLOW IMPROVEMENT FOR THE LATER HALF. RJK
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 12:35 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
COZ039-040-161930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1235 PM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...HAIL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORM OVER THE NORTHWEST DENVER METRO AREA... AT 1230 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHWEST JEFFERSON AND SOUTHEAST BOULDER COUNTIES. THE STORM WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST...ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. LITTLE RAIN WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM...HOWEVER SMALL...PEA. SIZED...HAIL WAS REPORTED AND IS WAS BEGINNING TO ACCUMULATE. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN DENVER. RJK
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 12:35 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
COZ039-040-161930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1235 PM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...HAIL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORM OVER THE NORTHWEST DENVER METRO AREA... AT 1230 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHWEST JEFFERSON AND SOUTHEAST BOULDER COUNTIES. THE STORM WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST...ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. LITTLE RAIN WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM...HOWEVER SMALL...PEA. SIZED...HAIL WAS REPORTED AND IS WAS BEGINNING TO ACCUMULATE. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN DENVER. RJK
Special weather statement, Oct 16, 12:55 PM MDT, 46 minutes before
COZ039-040-161930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1255 PM MDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...HAIL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING OVER THE NORTHWEST DENVER METRO AREA... AT 1255 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST JEFFERSON...SOUTHEAST BOULDER...AND EXTREME WESTERN ADAMS COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EAST...ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. LITTLE RAIN WAS REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS BUT SMALL PEA SIZED HAIL HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING TO AS DEEP AS 3 INCHES IN WEST CENTRAL ARVADA. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN DENVER. RJK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 1:15 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Denver, Jefferson | 45 min |
| Oct 16, 2:33 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 42 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998
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.