9 tornado, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pueblo, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 1:37 AM MST, 9 hours 12 minutes earlier.
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST COLORADO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO COLORADO 237 AM MDT TUE MAY 29 2001 ...STRONG/SVR TSTM POTENTIAL SERN CO TDA... CURRENTLY: MOST OF YDA EVES CONVECTION HAS EVOLVED INTO A NOCTURNAL MCS ACROSS NERN CO/NWRN KS/WRN NE EARLY THIS AM. THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO 800-700MB WAA AND THETA-E ADVCTN ZONE. EL PASO CO STILL ON THE BACKSIDE WITH SHRA/TSRA STILL DEVELOPING AROUND THE PALMER DVD. NEW MCS HAD FORMED ACROSS NERN NM/TX PANHANDLE JUST AHEAD OF OPEN LOW ROTATING NEAR THE 4-CORNERS AREA. A LITTLE STRONGER 850- 750MB THERMAL/MOISTURE ADVCTN IN THIS RGN WITH SELY 30-40KT LLJ ALONG NM/TX BORDER. GIVEN CURRENT SW-NE 850-300MB THICKNESS ORIENTATION AND VEERING LLJ WITH TIME...WOULD BELIEVE MCS CLUSTER IN NERN NM/TX PANHANDLE WILL CONTINUE ADVANCING NEWD AND SHOULD CLIP EXTREME SERN CO. MODERATE INSTABILITY STILL EXISTS ACROSS SERN CO WITH LAPS CAPES RUNNING 1500-2500 J/KG AND LIS -4C TO -6C IN VERY JUICY LOWER 60F SFC DEW POINTS. NUMEROUS TSTM OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WERE ABOUND ACROSS SERN CO AND MAY BECOME ADDITIONAL FOCI FOR TSTM INITIATION TDA...BUT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN IN SFC DATA. LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING SHORTWAVE(S)/OPEN LOW NEAR 4 CORNERS AREA WITH PARENT ULJ RACING INTO NM. TDA: 60-80KT ULJ OVER NM FORECAST TO RACE INTO CNTRL/SRN PLAINS LATE THIS AFTN AND JUST CLIP SERN CO LATE THIS AM/EARLY AFTN. ASSOCIATED MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH(S) PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS SRN CO TDA WITH ENOUGH SYNOPTIC SCALE VERTICAL MOTION TO DEEPEN CONVECTION. FUEL STILL FORECAST ACROSS SERN CO WITH SFC DEW POINTS 45-60F. BEST LOW LEVEL MOISTURE(50-60F DEW POINTS) PROGGED ACROSS SERN CO/SWRN KS BORDER. CAPE VALUES OF 1000-2500 J/KG ACROSS SERN CO 12Z-18Z/29 THEN SHIFTS EWD THIS AFTN. MODERATE BLAYER BEST LIS OF -4C TO -7C ACROSS ALL ERN CO AT 18Z/29. LOW LEVEL CONVG ZONE FORECAST TO EXTEND FROM KLIC-KLHX-E OF KTAD WHICH IS IN PLACE CURRENTLY. BY LATE THIS AFTN...SFC LOW DEVELOPS AROUND BACA CO. TSTM DEVELOPMENT STILL LOOKS GOOD FOR MOST OF CWFA TDA AND WILL LIKELY JUST GO WITH AREAL COVERAGE WORDING AS WEAK CAP IN PLACE AND DYNAMICS MOVING THROUGH TDA...SO COULD DEVELOP AT ANY TIME THIS AM. NEXT CHALLENGE IS THE DEG OF SVR. MOST UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL LIE E OF I-25 CORRIDOR. STRONGEST/ DEEPEST SHEAR FORECAST IN EXTREME SERN CO AND SWD NEAR MID/UPPER LEVEL JET. INTENSE(>50KTS) 0-6KM SHEAR WILL BE ACROSS ERN NM/TX PANHANDLE TDA. 25-35KTS 0-6KM SHEAR FORECAST ACROSS BACA CO 12Z- 18Z/29 AND WEAKENS LATE THIS AFTN TO 10-20KTS ACROSS ALL CWFA. ANY CONCERN FOR LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WOULD LIE ACROSS ZONES 78>81 TDA. ALSO THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN ALONG SERN CO/SWRN KS BORDER WITH PWINS AROUND 1.00 AND K-INDICES AROUND 40C. FURTHER W TOWARDS I-25 CORRIDOR MAY JUST BE PULSE TYPE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL/STRONG WIND GUSTS. ETA/MESO-ETA FORECASTING FAIRLY DEEP...BUT WEAK...W-NWLY FLOW AT LOW LEVELS BEHIND SYNOPTIC SCALE SYSTEM ALONG I-25 CORRIDOR THIS AFTN. WILL GO AHEAD AND MENTION THE POTENTIAL FOR SVR IN ZFP FOR ZONES 78>81 TDA FOR A FEW(3-4) SVR TSTMS. GENERALLY WILL STAY CLOSE TO MOS NWP GUIDANCE TEMPS. TNGT: ANY SCT TSTM ACTIVITY IN ERN CO SHOULD EVOLVE INTO A FORWARD PROPAGATING NOCTURNAL MCS ACROSS SWRN KS/OK...AS 40-50KT LLJ VEERS WITH TIME AWAY FROM CWFA. SYNOPTIC SCALE LOW MOVES INTO CNTRL PLAINS WITH NLY SURGE SETTING UP FOR ERN CO. MUCH OF THE TSTM POTENTIAL SHOULD BE IN THE EVE HOURS AS MID-LEVEL SUBSIDENCE RGN PROGGED ACROSS CO. AGAIN...GENERALLY ACCEPTED MOS TEMP GUIDANCE. WED-WED NGT: PRETTY MUCH IN 850-700MB ELY FLOW ON WED. MID-LEVEL NWLY FLOW IS PRIMARILY WEAK...AT BEST...WITH WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING ACROSS SWRN CO. SOME WEAK CAPE/INSTABILITY IS FORECAST FOR ALL THE ERN CO MTNS. NO PLANS TO REMOVE LOW CHANCE CONDITIONAL POPS AND CONTINUE FORECAST FOR CONTINUITY. EXTENDED(THU-MON): MODERATE NWLY MID-LEVEL FLOW FORECAST FOR NRN CWFA AS LEE SIDE TROUGH DEVELOPS IN SERN CO. COULD BE INTERESTING OUT IN CO PLAINS...AGAIN. ETA NOT PRINTING OUT ANY QPF FOR THU...THOUGH. AVN/MRF/ECMWF CONTINUE TO SUGGEST UPPER LEVEL RIDGING FOR THE WEEKEND WITH FAIRLY DEEP AND RELATIVELY DRY SWLY FLOW. PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT ON SYNOPTIC SCALE PATTERN ON MON WITH NEXT SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE GREAT BASIN. AVN/MRF REALLY HEATS THINGS UP WITH 700MB TEMPS PROGGED TO BE +16C TO +18C ON SAT/SUN. COULD SEE TEMPS AROUND 90F LOWER AR RIVER VALLEY. PATTERN WOULD PROMOTE LITTLE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AND PRETTY WARM TEMPS. NO CHANGES TO EFP. .PUB...NONE. METZE
COZ058>081-291500- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO 641 AM MDT TUE MAY 29 2001 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO... ...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY AFTER 1000 AM FOR A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHEAST COLORADO PLAINS... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO...AND WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY AFTER 1000 AM. THE COMBINATION OF THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE...AND SUFFICIENT WIND SHEAR...COULD PRODUCE A FEW ROTATING SUPERCELLS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO PLAINS. THE MOST LIKELY KINDS OF SEVERE WEATHER TO OCCUR WOULD BE 3/4 INCH OR GREATER DIAMETER HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS... AND POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED TORNADO. ALSO FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE OVER BENT...KIOWA... PROWERS...AND BACA COUNTIES TODAY. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF SPRINGFIELD...LAMAR...EADS...AND LAS ANIMAS. FURTHER WEST TOWARDS THE INTERSTATE 25 CORRIDOR...THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 3/4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. IF YOU ARE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHEAST COLORADO LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON...YOU SHOULD TAKE ALONG A NOAA WEATHER RADIO TO ENSURE THAT YOU GET THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION... INCLUDING WATCHES AND WARNINGS IF ANY ARE ISSUED.
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 140 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:50 UTC.
9 tornado, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The first in a series of seven tornadoes occurred with no known damage. The video documentation of the first six tornadoes indicated they were non-supercellular in nature.
The thunderstorms that spawned seven tornadoes west of Lamar, brought giant hail between golf ball and baseball size to Lamar.
Thunderstorms spawned six brief tornadoes and an F3 tornado within a three mile radius of the Lamar Municipal Airport between 1049 MST and 1231 MST just west of Lamar. The F3 tornado, which showed supercellular characteristics, completely destroyed a modular home and five vehicles in its vicinity, and damaged two other homes nearby. Eleven power poles were destroyed as well.
A brief touchdown occurred with no known damage.
A brief touchdown occurred with no known damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Colorado, 2001Warnings in Colorado, May 2001
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5248645, 5248646, 5248647, 5248648, 5248649, 5248650, 5248644, 5248643, 5248640, 5248641, 5248639, 5248642.