Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 5, 2012Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 2012, 9:56 PM MDT for Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver County, Colorado. It was in force for 49 min. 4 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
May 5, 2012, 9:56 PM MDT (03:56 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2012, 10:45 PM MDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
50.0 mph

Counties Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Denver County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:57 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 5, 10:00 PM MDTHAIL 12 Sw Buckley Afb, CO
May 5, 10:00 PM MDTHAIL 12 W Aurora, CO
May 5, 10:01 PM MDTHAIL 1.52 Sw Buckley Afb, CO
May 5, 10:06 PM MDTHAIL 13 Ssw Buckley Afb, 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 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 129 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 2012-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 102 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 2012-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 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
102 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3786 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
97 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.

852 
WUUS55 KBOU 060356
SVRBOU
COC001-005-031-060445-
/O.NEW.KBOU.SV.W.0008.120506T0356Z-120506T0445Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
956 PM MDT SAT MAY 5 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL ARAPAHOE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
  CENTRAL ADAMS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO
  EASTERN DENVER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

* UNTIL 1045 PM MDT

* AT 956 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ONE INCH DIAMETER HAIL. 
  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME WESTERN AURORA...OR 6 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF DENVER...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO D.I.A.
  TERMINAL AND CONCOURSES...BUCKLEY AFB...WATKINS...MANILA VILLAGE...
  DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...EASTERN DENVER...NORTHEASTERN
  COMMERCE CITY AND AURORA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER
AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 58 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

&&

LAT...LON 3994 10472 3970 10440 3962 10484 3975 10501
TIME...MOT...LOC 0356Z 254DEG 20KT 3969 10483
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$
2 follow-up statements
762 
WWUS55 KBOU 060414
SVSBOU

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1014 PM MDT SAT MAY 5 2012

COC001-005-031-060445-
/O.CON.KBOU.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120506T0445Z/
ARAPAHOE CO-ADAMS CO-DENVER CO-
1014 PM MDT SAT MAY 5 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM MDT
FOR EASTERN DENVER...CENTRAL ADAMS AND CENTRAL ARAPAHOE COUNTIES...

AT 1012 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ONE INCH DIAMETER HAIL. 
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 2 MILES NORTH OF BUCKLEY AFB...OR 12 MILES 
EAST OF DENVER...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.  

LOCATIONS REMAINING IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
D.I.A. TERMINAL AND CONCOURSES...BUCKLEY AFB...WATKINS...MANILA
VILLAGE...DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...NORTHEASTERN CENTENNIAL...
EASTERN DENVER...NORTHEASTERN COMMERCE CITY AND AURORA.

NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HAIL AROUND ONE INCH IN DIAMETER HAVE BEEN 
REPORTED WITH THIS STORM. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER
AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 58 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.

&&

LAT...LON 3994 10472 3970 10440 3962 10484 3975 10501
TIME...MOT...LOC 0412Z 248DEG 20KT 3973 10473
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$
855 
WWUS55 KBOU 060444
SVSBOU

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
1044 PM MDT SAT MAY 5 2012

COC001-005-031-060454-
/O.EXP.KBOU.SV.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120506T0445Z/
ARAPAHOE CO-ADAMS CO-DENVER CO-
1044 PM MDT SAT MAY 5 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN DENVER...CENTRAL ADAMS
AND CENTRAL ARAPAHOE COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 1045 PM MDT...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EXITED THE AREA.

LAT...LON 3994 10472 3970 10440 3962 10484 3975 10501
TIME...MOT...LOC 0444Z 248DEG 20KT 3980 10452

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 6:32 PM MDTTornado WarningBOULogan43 min
May 5, 7:39 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUWeld51 min
May 5, 8:20 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWeld25 min
May 5, 9:29 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUDenver46 min
May 5, 10:39 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Denver, Weld51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.