Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 53, NWS Goodland, KS

September 17, 2011Kit Carson County, Colorado

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Sep 17, 2011, 4:50 PM MDT for Kit Carson County, Colorado. It was in force for 40 min. 3 reports 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
Sep 17, 2011, 4:50 PM MDT (22:50 UTC)
Expired
Sep 17, 2011, 5:30 PM MDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Kit Carson County, CO

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:52 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
Sep 17, 4:57 PM MDTHAIL 1.7510 Ssw Kirk, CO
Sep 17, 5:27 PM MDTHAIL 1.755 N Stratton, COREPORT RELAYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OF 2 REPORTS OF GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.
Sep 17, 5:40 PM MDTHAIL 0.8812 N Vona, CO

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 12:00Z, 10.8 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 2011-09-17Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 12:00Z on 2011-09-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2169 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 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.

342 
WFUS53 KGLD 172250
TORGLD
COC063-172330-
/O.NEW.KGLD.TO.W.0053.110917T2250Z-110917T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
450 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL KIT CARSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...

* UNTIL 530 PM MDT

* AT 447 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KIRK...AND WAS MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY.

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 3945 10235 3934 10268 3950 10280 3956 10266
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 313DEG 10KT 3949 10271
HAIL 1.00IN
$$

ROBINSON
3 follow-up statements
556 
WWUS53 KGLD 172254
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
454 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

COC063-172330-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-110917T2330Z/
KIT CARSON CO-
454 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL KIT CARSON
COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM MDT...

AT 452 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KIRK...AND WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY.

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 3945 10235 3934 10268 3950 10280 3956 10266
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 313DEG 10KT 3948 10270
HAIL 1.25IN
$$

ROBINSON
458 
WWUS53 KGLD 172302
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
502 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

COC063-172330-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-110917T2330Z/
KIT CARSON CO-
502 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL KIT CARSON
COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM MDT...

AT 501 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTH OF KIRK...AND WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZE HAIL. AT 457 PM MDT GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 10 
MILES SW OF KIRK WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN KIT CARSON COUNTY.

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 3945 10235 3934 10268 3950 10280 3956 10266
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 308DEG 11KT 3946 10265
HAIL 1.75IN
$$

ROBINSON
439 
WWUS53 KGLD 172316
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
516 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

COC063-172330-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0053.000000T0000Z-110917T2330Z/
KIT CARSON CO-
516 PM MDT SAT SEP 17 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL KIT CARSON
COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM MDT...

AT 514 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTH OF STRATTON...AND WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PING
PONG BALL SIZE HAIL.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL KIT CARSON COUNTY.

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 3945 10272 3952 10255 3945 10235 3935 10265
TIME...MOT...LOC 2316Z 308DEG 11KT 3943 10261
HAIL 1.50IN
$$

ROBINSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 16, 9:41 PM MDTDense Fog AdvisoryGLDCheyenne, Kit Carson5 hr
Sep 17, 7:39 AM MDTDense Fog AdvisoryGLDCheyenne, Kit Carson, Yuma2 hr
Sep 17, 2:48 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDCheyenne, Kit Carson19 min
Sep 17, 4:34 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson, Yuma17 min
Sep 17, 5:14 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson, Yuma46 min
Sep 17, 5:20 PM MDTTornado WarningGLDKit Carson55 min
Sep 17, 5:46 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDKit Carson17 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.