Flash Flood and Hail in Colorado, August 23 to 24, 2002

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in Colorado, August 23 to 24, 2002
Start: 2002-08-23T17:10
End: 2002-08-24T00:36
Location: Colorado

August 23 to 24, 2002 · NWS GLD · 9 events in 3 counties and zones

6 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What forecasters said that day

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 23, 1:36 PM MST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 23, 1:36 PM MST, 3 hours 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
236 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

FORECAST CHALLENGES INCLUDE PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH SUNDAY
HOURS AS WELL AS CLOUD COVER AND EFFECTS ON TEMPERATURES THROUGH
SAME PERIOD.

12Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS SHOWED STRONG UPPER LOW OVER NORTHWEST CONUS
WITH VORT MAX WORKING WITH GOOD MOISTURE OVER SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
COLORADO MOVING EASTWARD. AT THE SURFACE A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY
EXTENDING EAST TO WEST JUST TO OUR SOUTH.

MODELS INITIALIZED WELL TODAY WITH REGARD TO POSITION AND STRENGTH
OF UPPER LEVEL WAVES TO MOVE THROUGH REGION IN UPPER FLOW THROUGH
NEXT 36 HOURS. HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH A BLEND OF ETA/AVN MODELS
THROUGH DAY 3 DUE TO PERSISTENCE AS WELL AS WITH BEST PORTRAYAL OF
MOISTURE AND STRENGTH OF SYSTEMS.

FOR TONIGHT EXPECT CONVECTION CURRENTLY OVER COLORADO AND NEW
MEXICO TO CONTINUE TO FLOW INTO WESTERN KANSAS. HIGH LAPSE RATES AND
GOOD CAPE VALUES ALONG WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN A
NIGHT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA.
WILL CARRY 40 TO 50 POPS OVER THE NORTH HALF OF FORECAST AREA TO
LIKELY POPS OVER THE SOUTH HALF. TEMPS WILL BE CLOSE TO GUIDANCE
IN THE 60S.

FOR SATURDAY WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS FOR LINGERING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY DURING THE MORNING THE ENTIRE FORECAST
AREA. EXPECT SKIES TO BE MOSTLY TO PARTLY CLOUDY. THIS WILL TEND TO
KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT. WILL GO CLOSE TO GUIDANCE WITH
TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S.

FOR SATURDAY NIGHT MODELS PROG ANOTHER MUCH WEAKER UPPER SHORTWAVE
TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. WITH SOME LEFTOVER
LOW AND MIDDLE LEVEL MOISTURE AND MODEST DYNAMICS MAY SEE A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS FORM IN THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY EVENING.
TEMPS OVERNIGHT WILL BE AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S.

FOR SUNDAY WEATHER SHOULD BE DRIER AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ALSO EXPECT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES TO WARM
UP A BIT REACHING INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S AT MOST LOCATIONS,

FOR THE PERIOD MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK WILL MAKE VERY
LITTLE CHANGE IF ANY TO MY INHERITED FORECAST. MODELS SHOW WEAK
RIDGING ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE WITH A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER LEVEL
SHORTWAVES MOVING MORE SOUTHEAST ACROSS REGION IN UPPER FLOW.
EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO BE CLOSE TO NORMAL THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE
WEEK.

.GLD...NONE.

LAMMERS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 23, 12:37 PM MST, 4 hours 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
137 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0905 PM    10 WNW RUSSELL SPGS       KS   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/02   LOGAN                          LARGE ELM TREE BLOWN
                                          OVER. REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 23, 1:09 PM MST, 4 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
209 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0905 PM    9 W RUSSELL SPGS          KS   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/02   LOGAN                          18 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN
                                          AND A STEEL WIND MILL
                                          BLOWN OVER . REPORTED
                                          BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 23, 1:09 PM MST, 4 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
209 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0905 PM    9 W RUSSELL SPGS          KS   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/02   LOGAN                          18 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWN
                                          AND A STEEL WIND MILL
                                          BLOWN OVER . REPORTED
                                          BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 23, 1:10 PM MST, 4 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
210 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0905 PM    10 W RUSSELL SPGS         KS   WIND DAMAGE
08/22/02   LOGAN                          LARGE ELM TREE BLOWN
                                          OVER. REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 23, 4:18 PM MST, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
518 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0501 PM    GOODLAND                  KS   .75 INCH HAIL
08/23/02   SHERMAN                        REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
                                          NWS EMPLOYEE.

0504 PM    GOODLAND                  KS   .75 INCH HAIL
08/23/02   SHERMAN                        REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
                                          NWS EMPLOYEE.

0506 PM    GOODLAND                  KS   1 INCH HAIL
08/23/02   SHERMAN                        REPORTED BY OFF-DUTY
                                          NWS EMPLOYEE.

Local storm report, Aug 23, 4:47 PM MST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
547 PM MDT FRI AUG 23 2002

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0544 PM    5 E WALLACE               KS   .88 INCH HAIL
08/23/02   WALLACE                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Yuma

When: August 23, 5:10 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 17 mi S of Eckley
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.867, -102.483

Thunderstorm Wind, Kit Carson

When: August 23, 5:20 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 3 mi SW of Flagler
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.267, -103.100

Hail, Kit Carson

When: August 23, 5:20 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 3 mi SW of Flagler
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.267, -103.100

Hail, Yuma

When: August 23, 5:36 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 7 mi S of Idalia
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.600, -102.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Kit Carson

When: August 23, 5:54 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 12 mi NNW of Bethune
Measured: 85 kt (98 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 39.400, -102.550

Center-pivot irrigation system overturned by high winds. Large tree branches down.

Flash Flood, Kit Carson

When: August 23, 6:30 PM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 17 mi N of Burlington
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.305, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

3.5 inches of rain in 30 minutes. Some roads washed out.

Hail, Kit Carson

When: August 23, 6:30 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 17 mi N of Burlington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.550, -102.267

Hail, Cheyenne

When: August 23, 11:50 PM MST
Where: Cheyenne County, Wild Horse
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 38.817, -103.000

Hail, Cheyenne

When: August 24, 12:36 AM MST
Where: Cheyenne County, 9 mi N of Kit Carson
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 38.900, -102.783

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, August 2002

Sources

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: 5313343, 5313344, 5313346, 5313345, 5313347, 5313348, 5313349, 5313350, 5313351.