Some pretty amazing video and photos of the Windsor tornado came to my attention.
First up are two photos captured by a fellow weather enthusiast’s webcam. Ryan of MyWindsorWeather.com captured the tornado as it passed about 2 miles to the east of his home. Absolutely amazing.
Second, raw video from the 9News camera crew that captured the tornado. Again, absolutely amazing.
Thursday saw the largest outbreak of tornadoes in Colorado that we have seen in years strike the town of Windsor, destroying homes and businesses, tossing cars and semi-trucks like toys and killing one man.
At about 11:20am ThorntonWeather.com radar began to pick up rotation in the skies just south and west of Greeley. Within minutes, we were tracking what was to be this deadly and damaging tornado and at 11:50am radar (image at left) showed the twister virtually on top of Windsor. The National Weather Service is evaluating damage from the storm but early estimates place it as an EF-2 or EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale which would have generated wind speeds between 111mph and 165mph.
The tornado that struck Windsor was a wedge tornado, a type we don’t normally see here in Colorado. These are the largest and deadliest of all tornadoes because of their sheer size and ferocity and are like those that are common in Oklahoma. This twister appears to have been on the ground for more than 30 minutes, was up to ½ mile wide and traveled 35 miles on the ground. In our state we usually see the well defined, thin “rope” tornadoes which while damaging, typically don’t last as long and are not near as big.
The Windsor tornado was but one of what were multiple tornadoes to strike north central Colorado Thursday. Some news outlets were reporting at one time that as many as eight possible twisters however we caution readers to take those numbers with a grain of salt. More often than not, the initial numbers are inaccurate as they reflect multiple reports of the same storm, simply as seen from a different location. The National Weather Service does the final determination and it would not be surprising to see that yesterday there were two or three twisters.
These tornadoes continue this year’s trend of increased tornado activity. As we previously reported, 2008 thus far ranks as the deadliest year for tornado-related deaths since 1998 and the severe weather season is not even half way over.
If you haven’t already, you may wish to read our article, “Severe Weather 101 – Tornadoes” which has some very important safety information about what to do when tornadoes strike.
UPDATE, 1:13pm – Severe damage appears to have been caused by the first tornado to strike today. The Greeley Tribune is reporting one possible tornado death near the missile silo park near Colo. 257 near 10th Street in west Greeley. Reports are that old town Windsor has been heavily damaged.
UPDATE, 12:38pm – At 12:23pm law enforcement reported a tornado 4 miles west of Dacono (24 miles north of Denver). Storm is moving at 33mph. A Tornado Warning is active for the immediate area including Niwot, Dacono and Longmont.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 12:25pm MDT
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch effective until 8:00pm tonight for much of the central plains including the Denver metro area. Visual and radar indications show great potential for severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes in the area under the watch.
At 11:30am radar showed a tornado touching down three miles east of Milliken (about 45 miles north of Denver). The radar image at the right shows the cell in its early stages with a tornado signature. Reports indicate that there have been no injuries but officials have closed Highway 85 at Highway 60 after two semi-trailers were blown over in that area. Power is reported out in Greeley.
All readers should be reminded that a Tornado Watch is issued by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma as a precautionary alert when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in the specific area. You may wish to familiarize yourself by reading our Severe Weather 101 – Tornadoes article.
Please stay tuned to area media outlets for more information as this afternoon’s weather develops.
After three consecutive days with temperatures over 85, change is in the air. Low pressure is intensifying over the foothills this afternoon and as a result the chance of thunderstorms is on the increase.
East of a line from Greeley to Byers will be where the greatest threat for severe storms will be. Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are a distinct possibility. Closer to the foothills and the metro area, late afternoon and evening will bring gusty winds and a chance for small hail. Scattered showers are possible through midnight.
The slow moving low will help keep temperatures down near normal for the foreseeable future after today however they also will provide for a chance of thunderstorms each day. Some of these storms may become severe although telling where and how widespread this activity will be is difficult. Certainly the northeastern plains have the greatest chance to see some excitement.
A number of advisories are in place at the current time. The southeastern part of the state is under Fire Weather Watches as things are tinder dry. In the mountains, much of the state west of the Continental Divide is under Flood Advisories. The recent warm temperatures have spurred fears of faster than normal snow melt and many rivers and streams are expected to reach flood stage.
This time of year just about anything can be expected. Keep an eye on the skies – especially if you are going to be outdoors for the upcoming holiday weekend.
For those that have seen the Discovery Channel’s StormChasers TV series, you may find it interesting to know that I have just learned that the StormChaser team is currently in Fort Morgan at this very moment. As mentioned above, severe storms are likely over the northeastern plains this afternoon and evening and they apparently are there expecting the same and hoping to get some good data. For those that haven’t seen this series, it is a MUST SEE for anyone interesting in severe weather or storm chasing!
This past weekend a deadly spate of tornadoes struck Oklahoma and Missouri, killing at least 22 people. More than a third of those died in cars despite the fact that vehicles are one of the worst possible places to be when a twister strikes.
“It’s like taking a handful of Matchbox cars and rolling them across the kitchen floor,” said Sgt. Dan Bracker of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, surveying the damage in and around Seneca, near the Oklahoma line, the hardest hit area. “This is devastating.”
Experts warn that just about any place is better than a vehicle. In the extreme situation that you simply cannot get away from a tornado or find more appropriate shelter, abandon your vehicle immediately. Lie down in a ditch or culvert and cover your head. This isn’t a particularly good option, but it is safer than remaining in a vehicle.
If you haven’t already, you may wish to read our “Severe Weather 101 – Tornadoes” for more information.
The Internet has an incredible amount of information out there. Weather websites abound, some better than others. Everyone of course knows about the local TV station websites that provide a quick, glossed over look at the weather but what if you want to know more? These five sites are great places for more in depth information.
Weather Underground – Like many weather sites, the Weather Underground is a one stop shop for everything weather. All of the standard stuff like conditions and forecasts from around the U.S. and the globe are here. A few things set it apart from others though. First are the weather maps that you see when you visit their main page – temperature, dew point, wind, satellite, fronts and more are all easily accessible. The second and most unique feature is the network of Personal Weather Stations (PWS) that provide data to the Weather Underground. Clicking on the “Personal Weather Stations” link toward the top right of their site allows you to select a state and then view data from one of thousands of weather stations operated by weather enthusiasts. Look at the Colorado list and you will almost certainly be able to find a station within a couple of miles of your home. You can then view real time conditions for that station thus providing you with a more accurate view of the conditions where you live – not 20 miles away at Denver International Airport or downtown.
National Weather Service (NWS) – Unbeknownst to most folks is that the United States’ government run weather service is quite unique in the world. No country has a government department with the resources of our own National Weather Service. On weather.gov you will find a dizzying array of information from weather conditions and radar to climatological and severe weather information. In terms of sheer amount of information available, it is second to none. Where it does suffer however is in usability – it just isn’t always that easy to find what you are looking for. It is there though and well worth spending some time investigating. Also be sure to check out our local Denver / Boulder Weather Forecast Office for information specific to Colorado.
Weather Channel – By far the most “commercial” of weather websites, this is the online arm of the TV station of the same name. Surprisingly the depth of information isn’t as great as one might expect considering its name and reputation but it is still a good site to remember. I would consider this a good “consumer” weather website for someone just wanting the no frills basics without all the details. One neat new feature is the weather maps that the Weather Channel now provides via Google Maps. Click here to view them. Using this map you can zoom in on an area of the country and view current conditions. The neatest thing though is the overlays that you can add to the map including cloud cover and radar.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – This government agency is a one stop shop for all things related to the climate. Like their website says, “Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.” NOAA operates everything from satellites that monitor the sun and the Earth from space to more terrestrial monitoring of our climate and environment. Long term forecasting and data analysis provide the public, government and researchers with information vital to understanding the world in which we live. Like many government sites, there is a ton of information here but you do have to hunt for it a bit.
ThorntonWeather.com – Of course I have to plug my own website! There are hundreds of personal weather stations across the state and many provide their data free to the Internet public. With data from my own weather station coupled with the many freely available resources on the Internet, my website is a bit of a one stop weather information center, particularly for those living in the north metro area. Everything you need in a weather website is there – current conditions, forecasts, radar, maps, weather news, climatological information, historical data, education and even lightning detection. Be sure to check it out – you will probably be surprised just how much is readily available to a weather enthusiast! Two other metro area personal weather station websites that are run by fellow weather geeks that I help maintain are ArvadaWx.com for those on the west side of town and ReunionWeather.com for those to the northeast.
Lightning is the number two weather killer in the United States (behind floods). Here is Colorado we seem to be particularly blind to the dangers the phenomenom presents as we are ranked #2 in the U.S. for lightning related deaths. Over the years, a number of myths have developed about severe weather safety and lightning in particular. Here’s a few that you may want to keep in mind: Continue reading Top 10 Lightning Myths & Facts
The one constant about May weather is change. Colorado natives and those that have lived here long enough know that Denver and Colorado weather changes considerably throughout the year. The month of May almost seems to pack an entire year of weather conditions into 31 days. You name it, it can happen. Click here to read our May 2008 weather preview for more information.
Much of the eastern plains found itself under a Tornado Watch late Wednesday afternoon as a number of thunderstorms moved through the area. At about 5:00pm radar indicated a possible tornado 22 miles northwest of Burlington. Being a rural area, this has not been confirmed yet however storm spotters have reported hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter from the storm cell. Further south at about the same time, radar detected a storm with some serious rotation about 27 miles northeast of Lamar. One inch hail was recorded in the area but no tornadoes. Below are radar captures of the two cells at their prime.
These storms have moved east into Kansas at this time however the area remains under a Tornado Watch until 9:00pm. This serves to highlight that this is the severe weather season and while these particular storms were a good ways from the metro area, everyone needs to be prepared.
It looks like Wednesday will bring Colorado storm chasers their first chance to hit the road! A dryline is expected to develop and move eastward across the plains, east of Watkins. As this happens the chance for severe thunderstorms along and east of this line will be pretty good, possibly opening the door for large hail and tornadoes. The northeast corner of the state could be interesting to watch tomorrow.
Closer to home along the Front Range, a Red Flag Warning is in effect for Wednesday for most of the central part of the state. This low humidity and the winds are making things tinder dry so please, be very careful.
Never been on a storm chase? Here’s a sample: