Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1998, 1:03 PM MDT for Arapahoe County, Douglas County, Elbert County, Colorado. It was in force for 42 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
- May 24, 1998, 1:03 PM MDT (19:03 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 1998, 1:45 PM MDT
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
Counties Arapahoe County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO
The radar
The Denver radar (KFTG), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 1:32 PM MDT | Tornado F0 | (Bkf)Buckley Fld Nas, CO | Weak landspout touched down briefly in an open field. |
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, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 122 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
- 1490 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 14 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 47 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 241902 RRA
SVRDEN
COC005-035-039-241945-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
103 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 1998
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
NORTHWESTERN ELBERT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO
WESTERN ARAPAHOE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
* UNTIL 145 PM MDT
* AT 100 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF PONDEROSA PARK...OR ABOUT 28
MILES SOUTHEAST OF DENVER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...COUNTRY GARDENS...ELBERT...
ELIZABETH...FRANKTOWN...KIOWA...PONDEROSA PARK AND THE PINERY
VERY LARGE HAIL AND BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE 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.
REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN DENVER.
BAKER
LAT...LON 3943 10486 3914 10472 3930 10424 3960 10427 3971 10431
3968 10460What 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, 10:45 AM MDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-250600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1045 AM MDT SUN MAY 24 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: TODAYS ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS FEATURE AMPLE MOISTURE...STRONG INSTABILITY...GENERAL UPSLOPE FLOW...AND UPPER LEVEL LIFT...ALL WHICH WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. TODAYS STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG THE PALMER RIDGE OF ELBERT AND NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...THEN INTO WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE VERTICAL WIND PROFILE INTO THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE SHOWS THE WIND DIRECTIONS FAVORABLE FOR PRODUCTION OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE TORNADOES... BUT THE WIND SPEEDS ARE FAIRLY LOW. HOWEVER...THESE SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY LATE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...THE PALMER RIDGE REGION. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED BY EARLY AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO. RJK
Special weather statement, May 24, 10:45 AM MDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-250600- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO 1045 AM MDT SUN MAY 24 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: TODAYS ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS FEATURE AMPLE MOISTURE...STRONG INSTABILITY...GENERAL UPSLOPE FLOW...AND UPPER LEVEL LIFT...ALL WHICH WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. TODAYS STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG THE PALMER RIDGE OF ELBERT AND NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...THEN INTO WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE VERTICAL WIND PROFILE INTO THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE SHOWS THE WIND DIRECTIONS FAVORABLE FOR PRODUCTION OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE TORNADOES... BUT THE WIND SPEEDS ARE FAIRLY LOW. HOWEVER...THESE SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY LATE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...THE PALMER RIDGE REGION. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED BY EARLY AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO. RJK
Special weather statement, May 24, 12:35 PM MDT, 28 minutes before
COZ041-241945- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1235 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 1998 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... AT 1228 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FORMING ACROSS DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM ON RADAR WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTH OF CASTLE ROCK IN CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY...OR 29 MILES SOUTH OF DENVER. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF PRODUCING 1/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORMS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 TO 15 MPH AND MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN IN THE NEXT 15 TO 20 MINUTES AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ELBERT COUNTY. BAKER
Special weather statement, May 24, 12:35 PM MDT, 28 minutes before
COZ041-241945- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 1235 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 1998 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... AT 1228 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FORMING ACROSS DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM ON RADAR WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTH OF CASTLE ROCK IN CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY...OR 29 MILES SOUTH OF DENVER. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF PRODUCING 1/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORMS IN DOUGLAS COUNTY WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 TO 15 MPH AND MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN IN THE NEXT 15 TO 20 MINUTES AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ELBERT COUNTY. BAKER
The office that day
Everything else NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 10:16 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln, Washington | 44 min |
| May 24, 10:16 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Elbert | 44 min |
| May 24, 10:59 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Elbert, Lincoln | 46 min |
| May 24, 10:59 AM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Washington | 46 min |
| May 24, 1:34 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Arapahoe | 26 min |
| May 24, 1:55 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Adams | 35 min |
| May 24, 2:16 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Elbert | 49 min |
| May 24, 2:37 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Weld | 38 min |
| May 24, 3:07 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Elbert, Lincoln | 38 min |
| May 24, 3:15 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 30 min |
| May 24, 3:44 PM MDT | Tornado Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 31 min |
| May 24, 4:18 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BOU | Lincoln | 27 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.