Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Pueblo, CO

June 5, 2008Otero County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 5, 2008, 11:18 AM MDT for Otero County, Colorado. It was in force for 57 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jun 5, 2008, 11:18 AM MDT (17:18 UTC)
Expired: Jun 5, 2008, 12:15 PM MDT
In force: 57 min
Issued by: NWS Pueblo, CO
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Otero County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:21 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 12:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 218 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: 692 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 129 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 
WUUS55 KPUB 051718
SVRPUB
COC089-051815-
/O.NEW.KPUB.SV.W.0040.080605T1718Z-080605T1815Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1118 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PUEBLO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  OTERO COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO...
  THIS INCLUDES LA JUNTA...

* UNTIL 1215 PM MDT...

* AT 1111 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED
  ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF TIMPAS TO 11
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF HIGBEE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 27 MILES
  WEST OF LA JUNTA TO 26 MILES SOUTH OF LA JUNTA...AND WAS MOVING
  TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 11 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HIGBEE.
  SWINK.
  ROCKY FORD.
  LA JUNTA.

IF POSSIBLE...WITHOUT RISKING YOUR SAFETY...PROTECT PROPERTY BEFORE
THE WEATHER HITS. GET IN A STURDY STRUCTURE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS. AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR...OR A BASEMENT CAN OFFER THE BEST
PROTECTION.

LAT...LON 3810 10403 3807 10340 3765 10340 3786 10404
TIME...MOT...LOC 1717Z 207DEG 10KT 3793 10403 3764 10335

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS55 KPUB 051748
SVSPUB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1148 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

COC089-051815-
/O.CON.KPUB.SV.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080605T1815Z/
OTERO CO-
1147 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM MDT
FOR OTERO COUNTY...

AT 1139 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...
AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE CENTERED 
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LA JUNTA TO 11 
MILES SOUTHEAST OF LA JUNTA...MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 22 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LA JUNTA.
  SWINK.
  ROCKY FORD.

LAT...LON 3810 10403 3807 10340 3765 10340 3786 10404
TIME...MOT...LOC 1747Z 204DEG 20KT 3792 10374 3790 10339

$$

000 
WWUS55 KPUB 051817
SVSPUB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
1217 PM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

COC089-051825-
/O.EXP.KPUB.SV.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080605T1815Z/
OTERO CO-
1215 PM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR OTERO COUNTY EXPIRES AT 1215
PM MDT...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS OTERO COUNTY PRODUCING SMALL 
HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 35 MPH 
AND WILL BRING RAIN AND SMALL HAIL TO LA JUNTA BETWEEN NOON AND 100 
PM.

LAT...LON 3810 10403 3807 10340 3765 10340 3786 10404
TIME...MOT...LOC 1748Z 204DEG 20KT 3793 10374 3791 10339

$$

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.

NWS Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 5, 5:54 AM MDT, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 5, 5:54 AM MDT, 5 hours 24 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
554 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

.SHORT TERM...

(TODAY AND TONIGHT)

...SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS MORNING...
...SOME MUCH NEEDED RAINS POSSIBLE FOR PLAINS AND EASTERN
MOUNTAINS...

CURRENTLY...UPPER LOW SPINNING NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS MOVING TO THE
EAST. SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES WERE NEAR THE CENTER OF THE UPPER
LOW. SOME ELEVATED SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPED OVER KIOWA...OTERO...AND
CROWLEY COUNTIES WITHIN THE PAST HOUR. EASTERN FLOW HAS DEEPENED
WITH KVTP HAVING EAST WINDS.

TODAY...HAVE TO KEEP THIS SHORT BECAUSE OF SEVERE WEATHER. UPPER LOW
LOOKS TO MAKE A EAST TO EAST NORTHEAST TRACK DURING THE DAY. THE
MODELS SHOW THE BEST 500MB COOLING PASSING NEAR THE COLORADO AND
NEW MEXICO BORDER. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS MADE IT TO THE NEW
MEXICO BORDER. WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING EAST...EXPECT A
CONTINUATION OF COOLING ALOFT DURING THE MORNING. WITH MOISTURE
POOLING ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE WEST MOUNTAINS AND AROUND
WALSENBURG AREA...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME SEVERE
CONVECTION IN THESE LOCATIONS AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES. BY THE
AFTERNOON...WIND SHEAR WILL DECREASE AS UPPER LEVEL CIRCULATION
APPROACHES. WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINING ON THE
PLAINS...SUSPECT THAT SOME REGIONS WILL HAVE SOME MUCH NEEDED
RAINS. IN THE MOUNTAINS...SNOW IS LIKELY ABOVE 10000 FEET IN THE
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.

MOST CONVECTION SHOULD END BY MID EVENING AS UPPER LOW MOVES EAST
WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS LINGERING OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
MOUNTAINS.

.LONG TERM...
(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)

WILL KEEP THIS BRIEF DUE TO ONGOING SEVERE CONVECTION IN CWFA.
PRIMARY METEOROLOGICAL CONCERNS FOR THE LONG TERM WILL THE
INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS
WELL AS VERY WARM TO HOT MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT TIMES.

LATEST LONGER TERM MODELS INDICATE THAT DRY ZONAL TO SOUTHWEST
FLOW ALOFT SHOULD BE NOTED DURING THE PERIOD WITH THE DEEPEST
ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE GENERALLY REMAINING JUST TO THE EAST OF
THE CWFA.

NEXT NORTHERLY SURGE EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT WITH ANOTHER
NORTHERLY SURGE ANTICIPATED MONDAY NIGHT. THESE SURGES SHOULD
TEMPORARILY INCREASE AVAILABLE ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE LEVELS AND
HELP TO HOLD BACK TEMPERATURES A BIT.

SPEAKING OF TEMPERATURES...AT TO ABOVE CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES ANTICIPATED DURING THE LONG TERM WITH THE WARMEST
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND.

FINALLY...AS GRADIENT WINDS INCREASE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY
NEXT WEEK...WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL BE
INCREASING. WFO PUEBLO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.

&&

.AVIATION...

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG TO
SEVERE ARE EXPECTED TODAY. MVFR TO VFR CEILINGS WITH BE NOTED AT
TIMES AT KCOS...KPUB...AND KALS TODAY.

&&

.PUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 5, 7:16 AM MDT, 4 hours 2 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
716 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

COZ058>089-093>099-061315-
WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST LAKE COUNTY ABOVE 11000 FT-
LEADVILLE VICINITY/LAKE COUNTY BELOW 11000 FT-
EASTERN SAWATCH MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT-
WESTERN CHAFFEE COUNTY BETWEEN 9000 AND 11000 FT-
CENTRAL CHAFFEE COUNTY BELOW 9000 FT-
WESTERN MOSQUITO RANGE/EAST CHAFFEE COUNTY ABOVE 9000 FT-
SAGUACHE COUNTY WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT-
SAGUACHE COUNTY EAST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE BELOW 10000 FT-
LA GARITA MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT-
UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY/EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS BELOW 10000 FT-
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT-
DEL NORTE VICINITY/NORTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT-
ALAMOSA VICINITY/CENTRAL SAN LUIS VALLEY BELOW 8500 FT-
SOUTHERN SAN LUIS VALLEY-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 11000 FT-
NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FEET-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 7500 AND 11000 FT-
SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11000 FT-
NORTHWESTERN FREMONT COUNTY ABOVE 8500 FT-
WESTERN/CENTRAL FREMONT COUNTY BELOW 8500 FT-
WET MOUNTAIN VALLEY BELOW 8500 FEET-
WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 6300 AND 10000 FT-
WET MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FT-
TELLER COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE ABOVE 7500 FT/PIKES PEAK BETWEEN
7500 AND 11000 FT-PIKES PEAK ABOVE 11000 FT-
CANON CITY VICINITY/EASTERN FREMONT COUNTY-
NORTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/MONUMENT RIDGE/RAMPART RANGE BELOW
7500 FT-
COLORADO SPRINGS VICINITY/SOUTHERN EL PASO COUNTY/RAMPART RANGE
BELOW 7400 FT-PUEBLO AND VICINITY/PUEBLO COUNTY BELOW 6300 FT-
WALSENBURG VICINITY/UPPER HUERFANO RIVER BASIN BELOW 7500 FT-
TRINIDAD VICINITY/WESTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY BELOW 7500 FT-
CROWLEY COUNTY-LA JUNTA VICINITY/OTERO COUNTY-
EASTERN LAS ANIMAS COUNTY-WESTERN KIOWA COUNTY-
EASTERN KIOWA COUNTY-LAS ANIMAS VICINITY/BENT COUNTY-
LAMAR VICINITY/PROWERS COUNTY-SPRINGFIELD VICINITY/BACA COUNTY-
716 AM MDT THU JUN 5 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST
CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED OVER THE PLAINS...WITH
MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS BEING HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER.
OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS...SOME STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH
HAIL UP TO 3/4 OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER.  CLOUDY SKIES ARE ANTICIPATED
THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DAY.  IF MORE SUNSHINE OCCURS THAN
EXPECTED...THE SURFACE HEATING WILL FURTHER DESTABILIZE THE
ATMOSPHERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGER HAIL.  IN ADDITION TO
HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS A HAZARD WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE
AROUND 10000 FEET WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE
ABOVE 10000 FEET.

AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY.  THE COLD AIR ALOFT WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL DESTABILIZE THE
ATMOSPHERE AND PRODUCE UNSEASONABLY LOW SNOW LEVELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE COMBINATION OF DRY CONDITIONS...INCREASING WINDS AND
INCREASING TEMPERATURES WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF CREATING
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS WEEKEND
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK OVER SECTIONS OF SOUTHERN COLORADO.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT MEET CRITERIA FOR SPOTTERS WILL BE LIKELY
THROUGH 9PM OVER THE PLAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 5, 6:54 AM MDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
654 AM MDT THU JUN 05 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0649 AM     HAIL             1 W COLORADO CITY       37.94N 104.87W
06/05/2008  M0.88 INCH       PUEBLO             CO   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

Local storm report, Jun 5, 7:04 AM MDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
704 AM MDT THU JUN 05 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0658 AM     HAIL             FLORISSANT              38.95N 105.30W
06/05/2008  M0.25 INCH       TELLER             CO   AMATEUR RADIO

            ACCUMULATED 1.5 INCHES...STARTED 0625...ENDED 0657

&&

JKH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Pueblo, CO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 5, 3:48 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Kiowa	57 min
Jun 5, 3:53 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero	67 min
Jun 5, 5:02 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Crowley, El Paso, Pueblo	58 min
Jun 5, 5:13 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Kiowa	21 min
Jun 5, 6:39 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Pueblo	104 min
Jun 5, 8:11 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Crowley	34 min
Jun 5, 10:07 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Kiowa	25 min
Jun 5, 10:50 AM MDT	Tornado Warning	PUB	Baca	43 min
Jun 5, 11:52 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Kiowa, Prowers	64 min
Jun 5, 12:20 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	PUB	Kiowa, Prowers	36 min
Jun 5, 2:50 PM MDT	Fire Weather Watch	PUB	Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande, Saguache	15 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.