Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 8, 1998Elbert County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 1998, 1:55 PM MDT for Elbert County, Colorado. It was in force for 50 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 8, 1998, 1:55 PM MDT (19:55 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 1998, 2:45 PM MDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Elbert County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:55 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, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 1998-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1998-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -49 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1711 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-45 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 081955 RRA
SVRDEN
COC039-082045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
155 PM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
     NORTHEASTERN ELBERT COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO

* UNTIL 245 PM MDT

* AT 155 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR AGATE...OR ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHWEST 
  OF LIMON...MOVING EAST/NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE AGATE

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER.  MOVE INSIDE 
A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. 

LAT...LON 3948 10403 3944 10400 3944 10375 3955 10374
          3954 10396

BARJENBRUCH

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 8, 11:30 AM MDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
COZ0048>049-081815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO
1130 AM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...FUNNEL CLOUDS REPORTED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN WASHINGTON
COUNTY...

SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE REPORTED JUST NORTH OF THE AKRON AREA AT
1120 AM. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS NORTHERN
WASHINGTON COUNTY...AND EXTENDING INTO SOUTHEASTERN LOGAN COUNTY.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE LIKELY WITH
THIS DEVELOPING LINE OF STORMS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION MOVE INSIDE AND SEEK
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

ENTREKIN
Special weather statement, May 8, 11:30 AM MDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
COZ0048>049-081815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO
1130 AM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...FUNNEL CLOUDS REPORTED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN WASHINGTON
COUNTY...

SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE REPORTED JUST NORTH OF THE AKRON AREA AT
1120 AM. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS NORTHERN
WASHINGTON COUNTY...AND EXTENDING INTO SOUTHEASTERN LOGAN COUNTY.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE LIKELY WITH
THIS DEVELOPING LINE OF STORMS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR LOCATION MOVE INSIDE AND SEEK
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

ENTREKIN
Special weather statement, May 8, 11:46 AM MDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
COZ030-032>050-090600-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL COLORADO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER COLORADO
1146 AM MDT FRI MAY 8 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 UNSTABLE MOIST ATMOSPHERE OVER THE FORECAST AREA TODAY
WILL HELP PRODUCE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
MUCH OF NORTHEAST COLORADO.  ALREADY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE DEVELOPING ALONG A SURFACE BOUNDARY RUNNING PARALLEL BUT SOUTH
ABOUT 30 MILES OF INTERSTATE 76 ACROSS THE NORTHEAST COUNTIES OF
COLORADO.  THE LOCATION AND MOVEMENT OF THIS BOUNDARY IS
SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS.
AREAS NORTH OF IT SHOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH SUNSHINE TO DEVELOP VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...BUT WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR JUST
THE SAME.  AREAS NEAR THE BOUNDARY AND TO ITS SOUTH WILL HAVE MORE
HEATING AND A BETTER CHANCE OF STRONGER STORMS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LIKELY BY EARLY AFTERNOON NORTH OF
LINE FROM NORTHERN DOUGLAS COUNTY ALONG I-76.  SOUTH OF THE
THERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP BY 3 PM.
THE HIGHEST THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF THIS
BOUNDARY.  LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE A THREAT...WITH
HEAVY RAINS A GOOD BET IN MOST AREAS....ESPECIALLY LATE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY NEED TO BE INITIATED BY EARLY AFTERNOON.  RJK
Special weather statement, May 8, 12:35 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
COZ041-045-046-048-049-090-082000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1235 PM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING...
...SHORT LIVED TORNADOES POSSIBLE THROUGH 2 PM...

AT 1232 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN LOGAN COUNTY
THROUGH AKRON AND THEN TO JOLLY RANCH...KIOWA...AND CASTLE ROCK.

THIS LINE WAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AGATE...AKRON...BURDETT...CLARKVILLE...ELBA...
ELIZABETH...FRANKTOWN...JOLLY RANCH...KIOWA...LAST CHANCE...LONE
STAR...OTIS...PLATNER...PONDEROSA PARK AND WOODLIN SCHOOL

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.  THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE A BRIEF
TORNADO...ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS.

BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, May 8, 12:35 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
COZ041-045-046-048-049-090-082000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1235 PM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING...
...SHORT LIVED TORNADOES POSSIBLE THROUGH 2 PM...

AT 1232 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN LOGAN COUNTY
THROUGH AKRON AND THEN TO JOLLY RANCH...KIOWA...AND CASTLE ROCK.

THIS LINE WAS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTHEAST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR AGATE...AKRON...BURDETT...CLARKVILLE...ELBA...
ELIZABETH...FRANKTOWN...JOLLY RANCH...KIOWA...LAST CHANCE...LONE
STAR...OTIS...PLATNER...PONDEROSA PARK AND WOODLIN SCHOOL

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.  THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE A BRIEF
TORNADO...ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS.

BARJENBRUCH
Special weather statement, May 8, 1:03 PM MDT, 52 minutes before
COZ040-081945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
103 PM MDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO DENVER...

AT 1255 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHATFIELD RESERVOIR...OR ABOUT 14
MILES SOUTHWEST OF DENVER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR DENVER...ENGLEWOOD...SOUTHEASTERN LAKEWOOD...
LITTLETON...CHATFIELD RESERVOIR...AND GREENWOOD VILLAGE

SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND MOVE TO A PLACE
OF SAFETY IF BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.  THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE A LOT
OF SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 35 MPH.

BARJENBRUCH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 2:10 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWashington50 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.