Tornado and Flash Flooding in Colorado, April 23 to 24, 2007

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Colorado, April 23 to 24, 2007
Start: 2007-04-23T18:31
End: 2007-04-24T00:45
Location: Colorado

April 23 to 24, 2007 · NWS GLD · 7 events in 2 counties and zones

A large, slow-moving storm system produced severe thunderstorms across NW Kansas, NE Colorado and SW Nebraska. Tornadoes, large hail and flash flooding were reported.

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: 7

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 happened

The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.

A large, slow-moving storm system produced severe thunderstorms across NW Kansas, NE Colorado and SW Nebraska. Tornadoes, large hail and flash flooding were reported.

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 Apr 23, 1:57 PM MST, 4 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 1:57 PM MST, 4 hours 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
257 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

.DISCUSSION...18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A WARM FRONT DRAPED ACROSS
WESTCENTRAL KANSAS AND A DRYLINE ENTERING THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF THE STATE. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS THE UPPER LOW WEST OF
THE 4-CORNERS AREA. THE COMPOSITE RADAR LOOP INDICATES CONVECTION
FIRING UP ALONG THE FRONT RANGE

THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR THIS FORECAST ARE TO DETERMINE IF A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS NEEDED FOR TONIGHT OVER A FEW ZONES WHERE RECENT
RAINS HAVE CAUSED SOME FLOODING AND WHERE FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS
LOW.

THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE 4-CORNERS AREA TONIGHT AND THEN
INTO WESTERN KANSAS ON TUESDAY. THE SLOW MOVING LOW WILL MOVE INTO
SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS TUESDAY NIGHT AND THEN INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA ON
WEDNESDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST WEDNESDAY
NIGHT TO HAVE LITTLE OR NO EFFECT ON THE FORECAST AREA. A RIDGE WILL
START BUILDING IN THURSDAY/THURSDAY NIGHT.  SURFACE LOW PRESSURE
WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN KANSAS TONIGHT/TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
START BUILDING INTO THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT.

PLAN TO KEEP OR INCREASE POPS TO LIKELY OR DEFINITE FOR TONIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. LOTS OF DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE WILL BE
AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS PERIOD. THE SYSTEM MAKES IT EXIT ON WEDNESDAY
SO WILL DECREASE POPS FROM WEST TO EAST. SEVERE THREAT...INCLUDING
TORNADOES...WILL ALSO BE A PART OF TONIGHTS WEATHER. TORNADIC
PARAMETERS ARE FAVORABLE ALONG AN AXIS CROSSING EASTERN COLORADO
INTO PART OF WESTERN KANSAS. RECENTLY ISSUED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER
165 FOR EASTERN COLORADO WILL LAST UNTIL 03Z TUESDAY. STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY EXTEND EAST INTO KANSAS AND EXTREME
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA LATER THIS EVENING AS ENERGY FROM UPPER LOW MOVES
EAST OF THE ROCKIES.

FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE OVER THE AREA WHICH RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS
RECENTLY IS LOW. HOWEVER...STORM MOTION SHOULD BE NORTHEAST AT 30KTS
WHICH WOULD LIMIT FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL. ALSO A POTENTIAL DRY
SLOT MAY LIMIT RAINFALL OVER THOSE COUNTIES MENTIONED.
CONSEQUENTLY...DO NOT PLAN ON ISSUING A FLASH FLOOD WATCH.

IN THE EXTENDED...A RIDGE MOVING SLOWLY INTO THE ROCKIES WILL KEEP
NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THIS PERIOD. SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE ON FRIDAY WILL BE REPLACED BY A TROUGH
SATURDAY/SUNDAY. THE GFS BRINGS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE FORECAST
AREA SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN ON MONDAY.

OVERALL THE PERIOD LOOKS DRY AS THE UPPER RIDGE MOVES EAST INTO THE
ROCKIES. THE GFS STARTS BRINGING A TROUGH INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE
RIDGE ON MONDAY. HOWEVER THE ECMWF KEEPS A RIDGE OVER THE AREA. PLAN
TO GO WITH THE ECMWF AND DRY CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS IN DAY
7.

MAX TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARM FROM THE LOWER 70S TO THE MID/UPPER
70S WITH SOME LOWER 80S OVER THE SOUTHEAST ZONES. TEMPERATURES ON
MONDAY MAY NEED TO BE TRENDED UP OVER THE NORTHWEST ZONES IF THE
RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE DURING THAT TIME. MIN TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN
THE 40S WITH SOME LOWER 50S IN THE EAST.

&&

.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...NONE.
NE...NONE.
CO...NONE.
&&

FS

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 9:45 AM MST, 8 hours 46 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1045 AM MDT MON APR 23 2007

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-241215-
YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON-
SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA-
DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW-
1045 AM MDT MON APR 23 2007 /1145 AM CDT MON APR 23 2007/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE TRI-STATE
REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH
OF INTERSTATE 70. A FEW ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING AS STORMS
MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL OVER AREAS THAT PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF RAIN.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST COLORADO AND
SOUTHWEST KANSAS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THIS
AFTERNOON. STORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH
THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF THE TRI-STATE REGION. SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE TRI-STATE
REGION LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
MOVES ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL DIMINISH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES
INTO THE EASTERN PLAINS STATES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

BLM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:18 PM MST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
618 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0614 PM     HAIL             9 SE SHARON SPRINGS     38.80N 101.63W
04/23/2007  E0.75 INCH       WALLACE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SJOHNSON

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:29 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
629 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0628 PM     HAIL             SHARON SPRINGS          38.89N 101.75W
04/23/2007  E1.00 INCH       WALLACE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SJOHNSON

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:35 PM MST, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
635 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0635 PM     HAIL             SHARON SPRINGS          38.89N 101.75W
04/23/2007  E1.00 INCH       WALLACE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SJOHNSON

Local storm report, Apr 23, 5:36 PM MST, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
636 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0636 PM     HAIL             SHARON SPRINGS          38.89N 101.75W
04/23/2007  E1.75 INCH       WALLACE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SJOHNSON

Local storm report, Apr 23, 6:04 PM MST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
704 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0703 PM     TORNADO          8 NE SHARON SPRINGS     38.98N 101.65W
04/23/2007                   WALLACE            KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MOVING NORTH VERY SLOWLY

&&

SJOHNSON

Local storm report, Apr 23, 6:05 PM MST, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
705 PM MDT MON APR 23 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0650 PM     TORNADO          3 E SHARON SPRINGS      38.89N 101.70W
04/23/2007                   WALLACE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MULTIPLE REPORTS

&&

SJOHNSON

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:33 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Kit Carson

When: April 23, 6:31 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 4 mi N of Burlington Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.378, -102.280

Hail, Kit Carson

When: April 23, 6:41 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 6 mi N of Burlington
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.387, -102.270

Hail, Yuma

When: April 23, 7:12 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, Yuma
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 40.120, -102.720

Flash Flood, Yuma

When: April 23, 8:00 PM MST to 11:00 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 7 mi NE of Idalia
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.772, -102.207

Flash flooding reported by Yuma county law enforcement. Later reports indicated water across county roads 20 and 22, and road RR was washed out south of road 23.

Hail, Yuma

When: April 23, 8:00 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, Beecher Is
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.880, -102.130

Flash Flood, Yuma

When: April 23, 9:45 PM MST to April 24, 12:45 AM MST
Where: Yuma County, 20 mi N of Wray
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.369, -102.230

Spotter reported flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms.

Tornado, Yuma

When: April 23, 9:49 PM MST to 9:50 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 15 mi N of Wray
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 10 yd
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.297, -102.230

Over open fields...no known damage.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Colorado, 2007 Warnings in Colorado, April 2007

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: 21780, 21781, 21782, 21778, 21783, 21779, 21784.