Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Watch 421
The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at May 23, 2003, 2:30 PM MDT for 11 counties in Colorado. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 23, 2003, 2:30 PM MDT (20:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 23, 2003, 7:00 PM MDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Denver County, CO, Douglas County, CO, El Paso County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, Logan County, CO, Morgan County, CO, Washington County, CO, Weld County, CO
Warnings issued inside it
2 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 3:39 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PUB | El Paso | 51 min |
| May 23, 4:22 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PUB | El Paso | 38 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 83 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
- 24 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -367 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1770 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 20 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 60 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 232028
SEL1
SPC WW 232030
COZ000-240100-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 421
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
230 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 230 PM UNTIL 700
PM MDT.
HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF COLORADO
SPRINGS COLORADO TO 60 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF AKRON COLORADO.
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 419...WW 420...
DISCUSSION...AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES SEWD INTO THE AREA...STORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSIFY. AIR MASS IS
MODERATELY UNSTABLE AND STRONG DIRECTIONAL SHEAR WILL BE FAVORABLE
FOR SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 32015.
...IMY
383,1050 405,1044 405,1023 383,1025
WWUS20 KWNS 232028
SEL1
SPC WW 232030
COZ000-240100-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 421
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
230 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHEASTERN COLORADO
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 230 PM UNTIL 700
PM MDT.
HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF COLORADO
SPRINGS COLORADO TO 60 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF AKRON COLORADO.
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 419...WW 420...
DISCUSSION...AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES SEWD INTO THE AREA...STORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSIFY. AIR MASS IS
MODERATELY UNSTABLE AND STRONG DIRECTIONAL SHEAR WILL BE FAVORABLE
FOR SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 32015.
...IMY
383,1050 405,1044 405,1023 383,1025SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 11:41 AM MDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crowley, Elbert, El Paso, Las Animas, Lincoln, Otero and 1 more | 3 hr |
| May 23, 1:54 PM MDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Logan, Morgan, Phillips and 4 more | 2 hr |
| May 23, 1:55 PM MDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and 2 more | 5 hr |
| May 23, 4:32 PM MDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and 2 more | 88 min |
| May 23, 4:54 PM MDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso and 5 more | 96 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Colorado, 2003Every severe thunderstorm watch in 2003
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.