Strong winds developed across eastern Colorado during the afternoon hours resulting in gusts of 60 to 75 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.
Strong winds developed across eastern Colorado during the afternoon hours resulting in gusts of 60 to 75 mph.
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 May 22, 12:23 PM MST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
123 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
.DISCUSSION...
123 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
FORECAST PROBLEMS INTO THE WEEKEND WILL CONTINUE TO REVOLVE AROUND
STRONG WINDS...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...AND BOUTS OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS. SATELLITE SHOWING THAT THE AMPLIFICATION PROCESS
CONTINUES. UPPER LOW NOW HAS NOT ONLY CUT OFF OVER THE GREAT BASIN...
BUT HAS ALSO BEGUN TO RETROGRESS. WITH VERY STRONG RIDGE IN THE
EASTERN PACIFIC AND STRONG CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA RIDGE/LARGE
EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN UPPER LOW...CONTINUE TO EXPECT VERY LITTLE
CHANGE IN THE UPPER FLOW.
ON THIS PACKAGE WILL NOT BE ISSUING ANY NEW HIGHLIGHTS. WILL BE TIED
UP WITH SEVERE WEATHER...AND DO NOT WANT TO BURDEN EVENING CREW
WITH UPDATES. WILL HIT THESE PARAMETERS HARD IN THE GRIDS AND
REGULARLY ISSUED PRODUCTS. WILL LET OVERNIGHT CREW DECIDE ON THE
NEED FOR ANY WIND AND FIRE HIGHLIGHTS.
TONIGHT/FRIDAY...DRY LINE HAS SET UP FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST THAN
DEPICTED 24 HOURS AGO. AHEAD OF THIS...LOW LEVEL AIR MASS IS VERY
MOIST WITH DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW ABOVE THIS BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL
MOISTURE. STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND JET SEGMENT TO OUR WEST AND
SOUTH WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO EXPECT DIFLUENT
FLOW ALOFT TO SPREAD OVER THE AREA. SO EXPECT WIDESPREAD
THUNDERSTORMS WITH SEVERE WEATHER ALMOST A DEFINITE. ANOTHER CONCERN
IS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. STORMS THAT FORMED YESTERDAY IN COLORADO
TRAINED OVER THE SAME AREA. EVEN THOUGH STORMS WILL BE MOVING
QUICKLY WOULD EXPECT THE SAME TRAINING AFFECT TODAY WITH A MUCH
MORE MOIST AIR MASS. EXCESSIVE RAINFALL DISCUSSION HAS MENTIONED OUR
AREA. SO IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MENTION HEAVY
RAINFALL AS WELL.
SIMILAR SETUP FOR FRIDAY...AND ALL THE WEATHER DEPENDS ON THE
POSITION OF THE DRY LINE. OBVIOUSLY GREATER POPS WILL BE TO NORTH
AND EAST OF THIS FEATURE. WILL BE CLOSE TO ABOVE WIND ADVISORY
CRITERIA FOR MOST OF THE AREA. SOME PLACES AGAIN MAY GET CLOSE TO
HIGH WIND WARNING. WEST OF THE DRY LINE MAY NEED A FIRE HIGHLIGHT AS
WELL. WILL BE GOING NEAR TO BELOW GUIDANCE.
FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY...POPS WILL BE ORIENTED FOR THE NIGHT
ACCORDING TO THE BOUNDARY POSITION. WILL PROBABLY BE HIGHER OVER THE
NORTHEAST HALF AGAIN. ON SATURDAY...WHEREVER THE DRY LINE IS WILL BE
DETERMINER FOR POPS...AND WILL PUT IN THE APPROPRIATEPOPS.
SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY...AGAIN NOT A LOT TIME TO LOOK AT THIS. POPS
CHANCE AND COVERAGE WILL BE DETERMINED BY BOUNDARY POSITION.
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...DID NOT SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS
DUE TO CURRENT AND EXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER. SOME KIND OF
BOUNDARY WILL BE IN...NEAR OR MOVING THROUGH DURING THIS TIME. ALSO
PERIODIC PIECES OF THE JET AND SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING THROUGH IN
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MAKE FOR SOME KIND OF CHANCE THROUGH THE WHOLE
PERIOD. USED HPC GRIDS AND TWEEKED THEM AT MOST.
THANKS TO ALL FOR COLLABORATION.
BULLER
&&
.AVIATION...
1130 AM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
FOR THE 18Z TAFS...STRONG SOUTH/SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE
AND CONDITIONS WILL FLUCTUATE BETWEEN VFR AND MVFR THROUGH THE FIRST
12 HOURS OF THE TAF PERIOD. AS THE STRATUS BEGINS TO LIFT
THUNDERSTORMS WILL ENTER THE REGION.
KJ
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
123 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
AS STATED ABOVE DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS DUE TO EXPECTED SEVERE
WEATHER...WILL NOT BE ISSUING ANY FIRE WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS
TIME. HOWEVER...GRIDS AND APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS WILL BE ADJUSTED TO
FIT EXPECTED CONDITIONS. IT WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON
SATURDAY...TO REACH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
BULLER
&&
GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT /7 PM CDT/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR
KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ027-041.
NE...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT /7 PM CDT/ THIS AFTERNOON FOR
NEZ079>081.
CO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ090.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR COZ253-254.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COZ091-092.
&&
WFO GOODLANDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 137 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-231600- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 137 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 /237 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ...DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON... SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WITH LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES. STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND FAVORABLE INSTABILITY WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW LONG TRACKED TORNADOES. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND PEOPLE ACROSS THE TRI STATE AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF A JOES TO SELKIRK LINE. STORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY TO THE NORTH...HOWEVER IF TRAINING OF STORMS OCCURS...AREAS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. IN ADDITION...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE... WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH. AREAS OF BLOWING DIRT MAY ALSO DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY. EXTREME FIRE WEATHER WILL EXIST THIS AFTERNOON IN THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE AREA...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A FLAGLER COLORADO TO RUSSEL SPRINGS KANSAS LINE. LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY COMBINED WITH VERY STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN VERY DANGEROUS BURNING CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SURFACE TROUGH REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE REGION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS MAINLY THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN SECTIONS. ADDITIONAL CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AS A RESULT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED. JRM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1243 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008 KSZ002-014-221915- RAWLINS-THOMAS- 143 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR RAWLINS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS AND THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 141 PM CDT...SATELLITE IMAGERY AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING NEAR COLBY...AND MOVING NORTH AT 55 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 35 AND 60. THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 36 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 35 AND 52.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
157 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0156 PM HAIL 3 S GOODLAND 39.31N 101.71W
05/22/2008 E1.75 INCH SHERMAN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SJOHNSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
159 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0158 PM HAIL 1 S GOODLAND 39.33N 101.71W
05/22/2008 E1.75 INCH SHERMAN KS NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
SJOHNSONPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
202 PM MDT THU MAY 22 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 PM HAIL GOODLAND 39.35N 101.71W
05/22/2008 E1.75 INCH SHERMAN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0200 PM HAIL GOODLAND 39.35N 101.71W
05/22/2008 E1.00 INCH SHERMAN KS OFFICIAL NWS OBS
&&
SJOHNSONThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous gusts near 70 mph were reported from a weather station at Coop observer's location 9 NNE Kit Carson, CO.
Numerous gusts near 60 mph were reported from the Burlington, CO ASOS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, May 2008
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: 101257, 101258, 101259.