Alert archive / Colorado / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Denver/Boulder, CO

May 23, 2025Washington County, Colorado

NWS Denver/Boulder, CO issued this tornado warning at May 23, 2025, 5:37 PM MDT for Washington County, Colorado. It was in force for 23 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 23, 2025, 5:37 PM MDT (23:37 UTC)
Expired: May 23, 2025, 6:00 PM MDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Denver/Boulder, CO
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 2.5 in

County Washington County, CO

The radar

The Denver radar (KFTG), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:37 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 23, 5:50 PM MDT	HAIL 3.1	9 Ese Prewitt Reservoir, CO	ICECHIP report. Time estimated.
May 23, 5:52 PM MDT	TORNADO	4 Ne Fremont Butte, CO	Report of power lines down at County Road AA and County Road 40. Time estimated.
May 23, 5:55 PM MDT	HAIL 2.5	7 Ne Fremont Butte, CO	ICECHIP report. Time estimated.
May 23, 5:55 PM MDT	TORNADO	3 Ese Fremont Butte, CO	Report of damage to a home near the intersection of County Road 47 and County Road AA. No injuries reported. Time estimated.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 23, 2:59 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 401 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 785 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 144 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 343 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

123 
WFUS55 KBOU 232337
TORBOU
COC121-240000-
/O.NEW.KBOU.TO.W.0013.250523T2337Z-250524T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Denver CO
537 PM MDT Fri May 23 2025

The National Weather Service in Denver has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Washington County in northeastern Colorado...

* Until 600 PM MDT.

* At 537 PM MDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located 8 miles southeast of Prewitt Reservoir, or 13 
  miles north of Akron, moving southeast at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and tennis ball 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Prewitt Reservoir and Fremont Butte.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built 
building away from 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 storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4044 10314 4018 10285 4018 10320 4025 10339
      4044 10336
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 318DEG 31KT 4035 10325

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.50 IN

$$

Barjenbruch

2 follow-up statements

431 
WWUS55 KBOU 232342
SVSBOU

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
542 PM MDT Fri May 23 2025

COC121-240000-
/O.CON.KBOU.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250524T0000Z/
Washington CO-
542 PM MDT Fri May 23 2025

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN 
WASHINGTON COUNTY...

At 542 PM MDT, a confirmed tornado was located approximately 11 
miles north of Akron, near County Rd 55 and DD, moving southeast at 
35 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and tennis ball size hail.

SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado.

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.

Locations impacted include...
  Prewitt Reservoir and Fremont Butte.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built 
building away from 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 storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4044 10336 4044 10314 4018 10285 4018 10320
      4025 10339
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 318DEG 31KT 4034 10325

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.50 IN

$$

Barjenbruch

844 
WWUS55 KBOU 232358
SVSBOU

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Denver CO
558 PM MDT Fri May 23 2025

COC121-240008-
/O.EXP.KBOU.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250524T0000Z/
Washington CO-
558 PM MDT Fri May 23 2025

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM MDT FOR NORTHEASTERN 
WASHINGTON COUNTY...

The Tornado Warning that was previously in effect has been reissued 
for Washington County and is in effect until 630 PM MDT. Please 
refer to that bulletin for the latest severe weather information.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM MDT 
Friday for a portion of northeast Colorado.

&&

LAT...LON 4044 10336 4044 10314 4018 10285 4018 10320
      4025 10339
TIME...MOT...LOC 2342Z 318DEG 31KT 4031 10321

$$

Barjenbruch

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 22, 9:13 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Logan	32 min
May 22, 9:43 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Logan	47 min
May 22, 10:23 PM MDT	Special Weather Statement	BOU	Logan	37 min
May 23, 4:02 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BOU	Logan, Weld	43 min
May 23, 4:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	BOU	Logan, Weld	45 min
May 23, 4:36 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	BOU	Washington	39 min
May 23, 4:56 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	BOU	Logan	49 min
May 23, 5:11 PM MDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	BOU	Logan, Washington	34 min
May 23, 5:54 PM MDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	BOU	Washington	36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Colorado, 2025 Every tornado warning in 2025 Tornadoes in 2025

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.