Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 60, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 26, 1998Larimer County, Weld County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 26, 1998, 4:30 PM MDT for Larimer County, Weld County, Colorado. It was in force for 35 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 26, 1998, 4:30 PM MDT (22:30 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 1998, 5:05 PM MDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Larimer County, CO, Weld County, CO

The radar

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 41 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:36 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 26, 2:45 PM MDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 12:00Z on 1998-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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 12:00Z on 1998-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 38 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 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.

045 
WUUS1 KDEN 262233 RRA
SVRDEN
COC069-123-262305-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
430 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
     EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LARIMER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO      
     NORTHWESTERN WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

* UNTIL 505 PM MDT

* AT 427 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF WELLINGTON...OR ABOUT 17 MILES
  NORTH OF FORT COLLINS...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...AULT...CARR...HEREFORD...NATURAL
  FORT REST AREA...NUNN...PIERCE...PURCELL...ROCKPORT...SEVERANCE AND
  WELLINGTON

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE
WARNING. PREPARE TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY STRUCTURE
SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN
COLORADO. 

HAIL UP TO 1 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER IS 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.

LAT...LON 4080 10510 4048 10491 4066 10428 4099 10421
          4098 10506

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 26, 2:51 PM MDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
COZ041-046-262235-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
251 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN ELBERT COUNTY IN THE
NEXT 30 MINUTES...

AT 340 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE
OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY IN
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30
MPH.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ELBERT...SIMLA...MATHESON...KIOWA AND ELIZABETH

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO
MOVE QUICKLY TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

VERY LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 8 PM MDT.

BAKER
Special weather statement, May 26, 3:53 PM MDT, 37 minutes before
COZ041-046-262235-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
251 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN ELBERT COUNTY IN THE
NEXT 30 MINUTES...

AT 340 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A LINE
OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY IN
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30
MPH.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR ELBERT...SIMLA...MATHESON...KIOWA AND ELIZABETH

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO
MOVE QUICKLY TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

VERY LARGE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO UNTIL 8 PM MDT.

BAKER
Special weather statement, May 26, 4:20 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
COZ038-043-262300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
420 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATING WEAK CIRCULATION WITHIN STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

AT 418 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF EATON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF
GREELEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AULT...EATON...LUCERNE...NUNN...PIERCE...
PURCELL...SEVERANCE AND WINDSOR

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN
COLORADO.

BAKER
Special weather statement, May 26, 4:20 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
COZ038-043-262300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
420 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATING WEAK CIRCULATION WITHIN STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

AT 418 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF EATON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF
GREELEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AULT...EATON...LUCERNE...NUNN...PIERCE...
PURCELL...SEVERANCE AND WINDSOR

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN
COLORADO. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR
EASTERN COLORADO.

BAKER
Special weather statement, May 26, 4:20 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
COZ038-043-262300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
420 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATING WEAK CIRCULATION WITHIN STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

AT 418 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF EATON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF
GREELEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AULT...EATON...LUCERNE...NUNN...PIERCE...
PURCELL...SEVERANCE AND WINDSOR

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN
COLORADO.

BAKER
Special weather statement, May 26, 4:20 PM MDT, 10 minutes before
COZ038-043-262300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
420 PM MDT TUE MAY 26 1998

...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATING WEAK CIRCULATION WITHIN STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...

AT 418 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF EATON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF
GREELEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AULT...EATON...LUCERNE...NUNN...PIERCE...
PURCELL...SEVERANCE AND WINDSOR

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN
COLORADO. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MDT FOR
EASTERN COLORADO.

BAKER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 4:58 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUArapahoe, Washington32 min
May 26, 5:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULarimer, Weld3 hr
May 26, 5:30 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWeld40 min
May 26, 5:58 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUMorgan, Weld57 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.