Hail and Damaging Wind in Colorado, May 16, 2017

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Colorado, May 16, 2017
Start: 2017-05-16T14:28
End: 2017-05-16T19:53
Location: Colorado

May 16, 2017 · NWS GLD · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Strong to severe thunderstorms moved across East Central Colorado two different times on this day, on in the afternoon and one in the evening. In the afternoon penny size hail was reported in Seibert. That evening wind gusts estimated at 70 MPH broke several one and two inch diameter limbs off a tree near Bonny Reservoir.

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 May 16, 1:55 PM MST, 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 1:55 PM MST, 33 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Goodland KS
255 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday)
Issued at 255 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017

An upper level low pressure area was located over southern Arizona
early this afternoon with a weather disturbance ahead of it
initiating some thunderstorms across the far west and east-southeast
parts of the forecast area. For the rest of the afternoon and
evening am expecting an increase coverage and intensity as upper
level jet moves over the area. From midnight through early Wednesday
morning dry air aloft should prevent precipitation from developing
across all but far eastern Colorado. Around and shortly before
sunrise wraparound moisture/precipitation increases behind the
departing wound up low pressure center. Northwest winds will
increase into the 20 to 30 mph range from much of the area by
sunrise as well. Low temperatures are forecast to be in the mid 40s
west to mid 50s east.

For Wednesday main weather story will be the wind. Northwest winds
of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph are expected. Wraparound
showers and extensive cloud cover expected in the morning for some
with a decrease in coverage in the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures
look to reach the mid 60s across the north to the mid 70s across the
south.

.LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday)
Issued at 155 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017

The first of two upper lows continues northeast of the region
Wednesday night reaching the Great Lakes. Dry conditions return to
much of the area with upper ridging building in behind the low.
However, the dry period is short lived with another round of
precipitation moving in from the west.

Late Wednesday into Thursday, a second and stronger upper low tracks
from the northern desert southwest towards the High Plains,
reintroducing showers and thunderstorms to the forecast.
Precipitation chances enter from the west late Wednesday and persist
across the area through Friday night. Potential for severe weather
appears to remain south and east of the region.

The system advances to the northeast on Saturday and surface high
pressure settles in, yielding dry weather for the majority of the
weekend under west/northwest flow aloft. The next opportunity for
showers and thunderstorms will be early next week when another upper
shortwave swings through the High Plains.

The cooling trend continues at the end of the work week as cooler
air filters into the region and drops temperatures into the upper
40s to upper 50s for Friday. Highs rebound over the weekend,
reaching the mid 60s to mid 70s by Monday. Low temperatures will
mainly be in the 40s Wednesday night. However, Thursday and Friday
nights show lows in the 30s. This may be enough to produce a brief
rain snow mix in parts of eastern Colorado both nights. Low
temperatures recover into the 40s this weekend.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon)
Issued at 1115 AM MDT Tue May 16 2017

For KGLD and KMCK, vfr conditions expected through about 06z or so
then mvfr-ifr conditions for the remainder of the period. Big
picture suggests a weather disturbance currently over southwest
Arizona will make its way into the area shortly before sunrise
Wednesday morning then into central Nebraska by the end of the
period. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible at both sites
from 23z-05z, some severe with large hail, damaging winds and
locally heavy rainfall. Should have a lull in activity in the
05z-08z timeframe. After 08z low level clouds fill in behind the
system leading to the mvfr/ifr cigs. Winds shift to the northwest
and steadily increase with gusts to 35kts expected. Wraparound
showers possible as well ending from southwest to northeast at the
tail end of the period.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...99
LONG TERM...JBH
AVIATION...99

Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 1:50 PM MST, 38 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Goodland KS
250 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-171200-
Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins-
Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-
Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow-
250 PM MDT Tue May 16 2017 /350 PM CDT Tue May 16 2017/

This hazardous weather outlook is for east central Colorado...
extreme southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible through this evening.
The primary threats will be hail to the size of golfballs, damaging
winds and locally heavy rainfall. A tornado cannot be ruled out.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

Low temperatures are expected to fall into the low to mid 30s
generally along and west of the Colorado Kansas border early Saturday
morning. Frost and freeze conditions are possible.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will be needed.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 10:50 AM MST, 3 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1150 AM MDT TUE MAY 16 2017

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

0756 PM     HAIL             10 S HAIGLER            39.87N 101.94W
05/15/2017  E1.75 INCH       CHEYENNE           KS   PUBLIC

            DELAYED REPORT. RELAYED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

&&

HILL

Local storm report, May 16, 11:46 AM MST, 2 hours 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1246 PM MDT TUE MAY 16 2017

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

0815 PM     HAIL             3 E HAIGLER             40.01N 101.88W
05/15/2017  M1.50 INCH       DUNDY              NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            DELAYED REPORT.

&&

HUSTED

Local storm report, May 16, 1:45 PM MST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
245 PM MDT TUE MAY 16 2017

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

0450 PM     TSTM WND DMG     9 SSE RULETON           39.22N 101.80W
05/15/2017                   SHERMAN            KS   PUBLIC

            DELAYED REPORT. SHINGLES BLOWN OFF ROOF OF HOUSE.

&&

HILL

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Kit Carson

When: May 16, 2:28 PM MST
Where: Kit Carson County, 0.53 mi E of Seibert
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.300, -102.870

The hail was mostly pea size with a few large hail stones mixed in.

Thunderstorm Wind, Yuma

When: May 16, 7:53 PM MST
Where: Yuma County, 4.16 mi E of Hale Bonny Dam Arpt
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.631, -102.102

Several one to two inch diameter branches were broken off trees.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Colorado in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Colorado, May 2017

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: 697510, 697511.