Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 5, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 5, 1998Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 1998, 4:27 PM MDT for Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 33 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 5, 1998, 4:27 PM MDT (22:27 UTC)
Expired: May 5, 1998, 5:00 PM MDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Washington County, CO

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:30 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 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 21 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 890 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -121 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 052227 RRA
SVRDEN
COC121-052300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
427 PM MDT TUE MAY 5 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
     EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

* UNTIL 500 PM MDT

* AT 421 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF ARICKAREE SCHOOL...OR
  ABOUT 27 MILES SOUTH OF AKRON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER
  HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ARICKAREE SCHOOL

IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER
AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREASX. REMEMBER...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60
MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

LESZCYNSKI

LAT...LON 3986 10311 3972 10312 3972 10282 3987 10283

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, May 5, 10:45 AM MDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before

COZ030-032>050-060600-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1045 AM MDT TUE MAY 5 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: SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND ALONG THE PALMER
DIVIDE. MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE
WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE STORMS. THE STORMS WILL
EVENTUALLY SPREAD EASTWARD ONTO THE PLAINS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS FOR BRIEF
PERIODS OF TIME BY PRODUCING HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY DUE TO THE LIMITED
COVERAGE AND BRIEF NATURE OF ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER ANY
REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

HERRALD

Local storm report, May 5, 10:57 AM MDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1057 AM MDT TUE MAY 5 1998

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FOR MAY 04 1998...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0256 PM    7SW CARR                  CO      0.75 INCH HAIL
05/04/98   WELD

0700 PM    HONHOLTZ RANCH            CO      1.00 INCH HAIL
05/04/98   LARIMER

BENTON

Local storm report, May 5, 10:57 AM MDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1057 AM MDT TUE MAY 5 1998

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORT FOR MAY 04 1998...

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0256 PM    7SW CARR                  CO      0.75 INCH HAIL
05/04/98   WELD

0700 PM    HONHOLTZ RANCH            CO      1.00 INCH HAIL
05/04/98   LARIMER

FREDIN

Special weather statement, May 5, 2:50 PM MDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

COZ044-045-049-052145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
250 PM MDT TUE MAY 5 1998

AT 235 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN ADAMS...WEST CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ARAPAHOE AND SOUTHEASTERN MORGAN
COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WOODROW...OR
ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF AKRON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER
HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN WAS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.  DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
UP TO AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN AN HOURS TIME OVER WEST
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY...JUST WEST OF WOODROW.  LOCALIZED
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN
WEST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR GARY...LAST CHANCE...SHAMROCK...WOODLIN SCHOOL AND
WOODROW SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

LESZCYNSKI

Special weather statement, May 5, 2:50 PM MDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

COZ044-045-049-052145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
250 PM MDT TUE MAY 5 1998

AT 235 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN ADAMS...WEST CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ARAPAHOE AND SOUTHEASTERN MORGAN
COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WOODROW...OR
ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF AKRON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER
HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN WAS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.  DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
UP TO AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN AN HOURS TIME OVER WEST
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY...JUST WEST OF WOODROW.  LOCALIZED
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN
WEST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR GARY...LAST CHANCE...SHAMROCK...WOODLIN SCHOOL AND
WOODROW SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

LESZCYNSKI

Special weather statement, May 5, 3:35 PM MDT, 52 minutes before

COZ030-032>050-065>068-070-081-061200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
345PM MDT TUESDAY MAY 5 1998

...EASTERN COLORADO RIVERS BEGINNING TO RISE...

THE MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK IN EASTERN COLORADO IS BEGINNING ITS SLOW
MELT FOR THE SEASON. IT CURRENTLY STANDS AT AROUND 105 PERCENT OF
NORMAL...NOT ENOUGH FOR WIDESPREAD SERIOUS FLOODING UNDER NORMAL
CIRCUMSTANCES.

STREAMS IN EASTERN COLORADO WHICH ARE MONITORED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER ARE CURRENTLY WELL BELOW BANKFULL AND POSE
NO FLOODING PROBLEMS AT THE PRESENT TIME.

HOWEVER...WE ARE APPROACHING THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN HEAVY SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS BEGIN TO AFFECT THE STATE...PARTICULARLY THE AREA EAST
OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THIS COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS ALONG SMALLER
STREAMS WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY NEAR BANKFULL DUE TO SNOW MELT.

WEATHER FORECASTS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS POINT TO SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT EASTERN COLORADO...BUT NOT
WIDESPREAD ENOUGH OR HEAVY ENOUGH TO ADD LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER TO
THE RIVERS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH TO CONTINUE SLOW
MELTING OF THE MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK...BUT NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO MELT
LARGE AMOUNTS OF SNOW ON A DAILY BASIS.

BOTTOM LINE...THROUGH FRIDAY LOOK FOR CONTINUED SLOW RISES IN RIVER
LEVELS IN EASTERN COLORADO. IN ADDITION...BE AWARE THAT MOIST SOIL
CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA MAY LEAD TO ROCK AND MUD SLIDES IN
FOOTHILL AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. BE CAREFUL.

TUNNELL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 5, 3:26 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Weld	64 min
May 5, 3:55 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Weld	50 min
May 5, 4:14 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Weld	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 1998 Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.