Damaging Winds in Colorado, August 26, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds in Colorado, August 26, 2002
Start: 2002-08-26T15:25
End: 2002-08-26T16:33
Location: Colorado

August 26, 2002 · NWS GLD · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 26, 1:28 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 1:28 PM MST, 1 hour 57 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
228 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

THE FORECAST CHALLENGES WILL BE THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION AND
SEVERE TODAY AND EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY.

STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE CONVERGENCE ZONE BETWEEN THE OUTFLOW
FROM THE STORMS IN NEBRASKA AND THE MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW MOVING UP
THROUGH THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. THE MOIST SOUTHERLY
FLOW IS TO THE EAST OF A SURFACE LEE TROUGH THAT EXTENDS FROM THE
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TO EASTERN NEW MEXICO. ALOFT...A 700MB SHORTWAVE
TROUGH IS LIFTING OUT OF COLORADO/NEW MEXICO.

ALL MODELS INITIALIZED REASONABLY WELL ALOFT WITH MINOR DISAGREEMENT
NEAR THE SURFACE. THE ETA WAS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE ON THE PROBABILITY
OF PRECIPITATION IN THE SHORT TERM ALONG WITH BEING THE WARMER
MODEL. HAVE GONE NEAR THE WARMER GUIDANCE AND HIGHER POPS THROUGH
THE WEEK.

THE SURFACE LEE TROUGH REMAINS IN PLACE GENERALLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE
FORECAST PERIOD AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN
PLAINS. MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGHS CONTINUE TO EJECT EAST OF THE
ROCKIES AS A LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE GREAT BASIN.  THE LOW RETROGRADES
WEST TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER LOW DROPS THROUGH THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST FRIDAY EVENING...KEEPING THE FORECAST AREA
GENERALLY UNDER ZONAL FLOW THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE CONVERGENCE AREA OVER THE
NORTHEAST THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA TODAY. WITH THE SURFACE LEE
TROUGH REMAINING IN THE REGION THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY...A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST LATE EACH DAY AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS
FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

EXTENDED PROGS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT KEEPING WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW
OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH SUNDAY AS SEVERAL SHORT WAVE TROUGHS
EJECT OUT OF THE MAIN WESTERN U.S. TROUGH THROUGH SUNDAY. BY NEXT
WEEK THE UPPER FLOW FLATTENS EVEN MORE AFTER THE UPPER LOW LIFTS OUT
OF THE WESTERN U.S. WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE FORECAST SATURDAY NIGHT.

.GLD...NONE.

LOCKHART

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 26, 1:35 PM MST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
235 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0200 PM    8 SE STRATTON             NE   4 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   HITCHCOCK                      LOST NUMEROUS WINDOWS
                                          IN HOUSE. REPORTED BY
                                          STORM SPOTTER.

0200 PM    8 SSE STRATTON            NE   WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02   HITCHCOCK                      REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER. ROOF OF HOUSE
                                          DAMAGED.

0230 PM    8 SE STRATTON             NE   FLOOD
08/26/02   HITCHCOCK                      REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER. WATER RUNNING
                                          IN MANY LOW LYING AREAS.

Local storm report, Aug 26, 1:38 PM MST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
238 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0210 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   87 MPH TSTM GUST
08/26/02   DUNDY                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

0210 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   1 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   DUNDY                          REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, Aug 26, 1:40 PM MST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
240 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0158 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   DUNDY                          REPORTED BY COOPERATIVE
                                          OBSERVER.

Local storm report, Aug 26, 1:49 PM MST, 1 hour 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
249 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0244 PM    10 N BIRD CITY            KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   CHEYENNE

Local storm report, Aug 26, 1:56 PM MST, 1 hour 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
256 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0250 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   FLOOD
08/26/02   DUNDY                          WATER RUNNING OVER
                                          ROADS IN TOWN AND DRY
                                          CREEKS ARE RUNNING
                                          FULL. REPORTED BY
                                          COOPERATIVE OBSERVER.

Local storm report, Aug 26, 3:16 PM MST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
416 PM MDT MON AUG 26 2002

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

0300 PM    12 S TRENTON              NE   FLOOD
08/26/02   HITCHCOCK                      WATER OVER HIGHWAY 25.
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0315 PM    5 E BENKELMAN             NE   FLOOD
08/26/02   DUNDY                          WATER OVER HIGHWAY 34
                                          BETWEEN BENKELMAN AND
                                          MAX. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0329 PM    3 NE ST FRANCIS           KS   TORNADO
08/26/02   CHEYENNE                       2 TORNADOES ON THE
                                          GROUND. REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC.

0329 PM    16 NW ST FRANCIS          KS   60 MPH TSTM GUST
08/26/02   CHEYENNE                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0335 PM    5 S WHEELER               KS   TORNADO
08/26/02   CHEYENNE                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0340 PM    10 N BIRD CITY            KS   FLOOD
08/26/02   CHEYENNE                       TIMBER CREEK RISING
                                          OVER HIGHWAY 161.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0345 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   CHEYENNE                       REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0352 PM    7 W ATWOOD                KS   1 INCH HAIL
08/26/02   RAWLINS                        REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Kit Carson

When: August 26, 3:25 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 16 mi NE of Burlington
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.467, -102.050

Four-inch diameter tree limbs down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cheyenne

When: August 26, 4:23 PM MST
Where: Cheyenne County, 14 mi N of Arapahoe
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.050, -102.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Cheyenne

When: August 26, 4:33 PM MST
Where: Cheyenne County, Arapahoe
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.850, -102.167

What these are

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.

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: 5313601, 5313602, 5313603.