Alert archive / Colorado / Mesoscale Discussions in 2025

Mesoscale Discussion 2021

August 29, 20259 counties in Colorado; 8 counties in New Mexico; Cimarron County, Oklahoma

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Aug 29, 2025, 2:02 PM MDT for 9 counties in Colorado; 8 counties in New Mexico; Cimarron County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 88 min.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 29, 2025, 2:02 PM MDT (20:02 UTC)
Expired
Aug 29, 2025, 3:30 PM MDT
In force
88 min
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
40%

Counties Baca County, CO, Bent County, CO, Crowley County, CO, Huerfano County, CO, Kiowa County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Otero County, CO, Prowers County, CO, Pueblo County, CO, Colfax County, NM, De Baca County, NM, Guadalupe County, NM, Harding County, NM, Mora County, NM, Quay County, NM, San Miguel County, NM, Union County, NM, Cimarron County, OK

The radar

The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 206 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:02 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 watches that followed

Watches SPC issued over any of the same counties within four hours of this discussion.

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 389 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2025-08-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 12 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2025-08-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
12 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
500 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

999 
ACUS11 KWNS 292003
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 292002 
OKZ000-COZ000-TXZ000-NMZ000-292130-

Mesoscale Discussion 2021
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0302 PM CDT Fri Aug 29 2025

Areas affected...portions of southeastern Colorado and northeast New
Mexico

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 292002Z - 292130Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...40 percent

SUMMARY...Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to
continue developing this afternoon over the higher-terrains and
adjacent plains. Eventually a few stronger clusters or supercells
may evolve with a risk for damaging gusts and some hail. A WW is
possible but uncertain.

DISCUSSION...Weak upslope flow and strong diurnal heating of a moist
air mass is support scattered thunderstorm development over portions
of the central Rockies this afternoon. Weak ascent from a glancing
shortwave trough and continued upslope should allow for additional
development over the next several hours. While low and mid-level
lapse rates aren't particularly steep, heating and upper 50s to mid
60s F dewpoints are supporting moderate MLCAPE (1500-2000 J/kg) over
the southern high Plains.

As convection intensifies this afternoon a 35-45 kt of bulk-shear
are in place to support storm organization. A few organized clusters
or supercell structures could evolve with an initial risk of
damaging gusts and some hail. CAM guidance has trended more
aggressive this afternoon, showing further storm development/upscale
growth into this evening, which could support one or more linear
clusters with a locally greater damaging wind threat.

While confidence in the convective evolution is low owing to
somewhat nebulous forcing for ascent, storm coverage is expected to
increase over the coming hours. A broadly favorable severe
environment with continued destabilization also suggests the severe
threat is likely increasing. Portions of southeastern CO, southwest
KS and northeast NM will be upgraded to a level 2/5 Slight Risk at
20z. A WW is also being considered.

..Lyons/Mosier.. 08/29/2025

...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...

ATTN...WFO...GLD...AMA...PUB...BOU...ABQ...

LAT...LON   37380536 38750434 39050297 38270218 37070234 35300310
            34350379 34250434 34540511 36330555 37380536 

MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST...55-70 MPH
MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE...1.00-1.75 IN

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 29, 1:13 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCKit Carson, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma2 hr
Aug 29, 3:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBaca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Lincoln and 2 more7 hr
Aug 29, 5:10 PM MDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and 1 more2 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Colorado, 2025Mesoscale Discussions in New Mexico, 2025Mesoscale Discussions in Oklahoma, 2025Every mesoscale discussion 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.