Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 17, 2011Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2011, 6:59 PM MDT for Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 31 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 2011, 6:59 PM MDT (00:59 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2011, 7:30 PM MDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Washington County, CO

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 129 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:59 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 17, 7:05 PM MDTHAIL 18 E Elba, COBREIF HEAVY RAIN...0.52 INCH IN 10 MINUTES

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 32 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 00:00Z on 2011-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 26 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 2011-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 22 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
26 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1293 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

240 
WFUS55 KBOU 180059
TORBOU
COC121-180130-
/O.NEW.KBOU.TO.W.0006.110518T0059Z-110518T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
659 PM MDT TUE MAY 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

* UNTIL 730 PM MDT

* AT 700 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 16 MILES SOUTH
  OF OTIS...OR 18 MILES SOUTHEAST OF AKRON. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO OTIS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3988 10295 3989 10316 4018 10306 4017 10279
      4016 10279 4009 10279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0100Z 221DEG 20KT 3995 10302

$$
1 follow-up statement
958 
WWUS55 KBOU 180130
SVSBOU

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
730 PM MDT TUE MAY 17 2011

COC121-180140-
/O.EXP.KBOU.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-110518T0130Z/
WASHINGTON CO-
730 PM MDT TUE MAY 17 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND IS NO 
LONGER EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A TORNADO.

LAT...LON 3988 10295 3989 10316 4018 10306 4017 10279
      4016 10279 4009 10279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0059Z 221DEG 20KT 3995 10302

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 6:11 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWashington34 min
May 17, 6:13 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWashington15 min
May 17, 6:26 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUWashington34 min
May 17, 6:32 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan, Washington43 min
May 18, 4:10 AM MDTFlash Flood WatchBOUBoulder, Larimer16 hr
May 18, 4:43 AM MDTWinter Storm WarningBOUBoulder, Grand, Jackson, Larimer24 hr
May 18, 4:43 AM MDTWinter Weather AdvisoryBOUBoulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson and 4 more24 hr
May 18, 1:13 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams, Broomfield31 min
May 18, 2:16 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUAdams, Broomfield119 min
May 18, 2:29 PM MDTTornado WarningBOUAdams14 min
May 18, 2:38 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Broomfield, Weld19 min
May 18, 5:47 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULincoln58 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.