Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Pueblo, CO

August 16, 2020Otero County, Colorado

NWS Pueblo, CO issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 2020, 6:43 PM MDT for Otero County, Colorado. It was in force for 20 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: Aug 16, 2020, 6:43 PM MDT (00:43 UTC)
Expired: Aug 16, 2020, 7:03 PM MDT
In force: 20 min
Issued by: NWS Pueblo, CO
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.25 in

County Otero County, CO

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:44 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Aug 16, 1:45 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 220 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: 3 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -83 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 3874 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 11 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

817 
WFUS55 KPUB 170043
TORPUB
COC089-170115-
/O.NEW.KPUB.TO.W.0023.200817T0043Z-200817T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
643 PM MDT Sun Aug 16 2020

The National Weather Service in Pueblo has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Otero County in southeastern Colorado...

* Until 715 PM MDT.

* At 642 PM MDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing both
  tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage were located 9
  miles northwest of Timpas, or 17 miles west of La Junta, moving
  east at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  central Otero County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3791 10389 3797 10389 3803 10369 3790 10365
TIME...MOT...LOC 0042Z 267DEG 13KT 3794 10385 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

Heavener

1 follow-up statement

083 
WWUS55 KPUB 170103
SVSPUB

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Pueblo CO
703 PM MDT Sun Aug 16 2020

COC089-170112-
/O.CAN.KPUB.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-200817T0115Z/
Otero CO-
703 PM MDT Sun Aug 16 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL OTERO COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.  However small hail is
still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM MDT for
southeastern Colorado.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
Otero County.

LAT...LON 3791 10389 3797 10389 3803 10369 3790 10365
TIME...MOT...LOC 0100Z 267DEG 13KT 3794 10375 

$$

Heavener

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 16, 6:01 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Huerfano	29 min
Aug 16, 6:07 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Otero	23 min
Aug 16, 6:13 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Crowley	32 min
Aug 16, 6:27 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Crowley, Otero	33 min
Aug 16, 6:32 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Otero	43 min
Aug 16, 7:00 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Otero	18 min
Aug 16, 7:33 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Otero	27 min
Aug 16, 7:35 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Otero	25 min
Aug 16, 8:45 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Baca	45 min
Aug 16, 9:06 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Crowley	24 min
Aug 16, 9:23 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PUB	Crowley, Kiowa	37 min
Aug 17, 3:45 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	PUB	Chaffee	45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

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.