Alert archive / Colorado / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2023

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 309, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

July 20, 2023Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 2023, 8:09 AM MDT for Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 51 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 20, 2023, 8:09 AM MDT (14:09 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 2023, 9:00 AM MDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
70.0 mph

County Washington County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:11 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 nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 255 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 2023-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 265 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 2023-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -42 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
265 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-168 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
986 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
79 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Denver/Boulder, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 20, 5:38 AM MDT, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 5:38 AM MDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 3:43 AM MDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 7:38 AM MDT, 31 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
738 AM MDT Thu Jul 20 2023

COZ044-049-201430-
Washington County CO-Morgan County CO-
738 AM MDT Thu Jul 20 2023

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southeastern Morgan
and Washington Counties through 830 AM MDT...

At 738 AM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Midway to 4 miles north of Elba to 6 miles
southwest of Arickaree School, or along a line extending from 18
miles east of Fort Morgan to 10 miles south of Akron to 26 miles
north of Flagler. Movement was northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Akron, Otis, Thurman, Arickaree School, Cope, Anton, Elba, Platner,
Burdett, Midway and Lone Star.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3957 10324 4019 10364 4043 10314 4043 10280
      3957 10280
TIME...MOT...LOC 1338Z 251DEG 26KT 4023 10345 4001 10319 3967 10311

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

ENTREKIN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 3:02 AM MDTFlood WatchBOUElbert, Lincoln, Washington21 hr
Jul 20, 7:38 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUWashington52 min
Jul 20, 9:28 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan, Weld47 min
Jul 20, 9:47 AM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOULogan, Weld3 hr
Jul 20, 10:10 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULogan50 min
Jul 20, 10:49 AM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOULogan41 min
Jul 20, 12:23 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 20, 1:13 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOULarimer3 hr
Jul 20, 1:34 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUArapahoe41 min
Jul 20, 1:58 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe32 min
Jul 20, 2:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUDouglas, Elbert40 min
Jul 20, 2:17 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUDouglas, Elbert3 hr
Jul 20, 2:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Morgan25 min
Jul 20, 2:40 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBOUElbert50 min
Jul 20, 2:56 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Morgan, Washington49 min
Jul 20, 3:23 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBOUElbert52 min
Jul 20, 3:38 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUElbert3 hr
Jul 20, 3:50 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUJefferson25 min
Jul 20, 3:54 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULincoln51 min
Jul 20, 3:59 PM MDTFlash Flood WarningBOUGrand117 min
Jul 20, 4:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUArapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson44 min
Jul 20, 4:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln38 min
Jul 20, 4:16 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUMorgan, Washington32 min
Jul 20, 4:25 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatBOULincoln50 min
Jul 20, 4:38 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams52 min
Jul 20, 4:43 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUElbert, Lincoln47 min
Jul 20, 4:59 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUElbert, Lincoln3 hr
Jul 20, 4:59 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementBOUWashington46 min
Jul 20, 5:05 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUMorgan, Washington3 hr
Jul 20, 5:10 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUAdams, Arapahoe, Washington50 min
Jul 20, 5:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOULincoln15 min
Jul 20, 5:27 PM MDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBOUAdams, Morgan3 hr
Jul 20, 5:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUWashington47 min
Jul 20, 5:43 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBOUArapahoe, Elbert, Lincoln, Washington47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Colorado, 2023Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2023

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.