05/22/08 NOW: CO/NE/WY/KS/OK/TX

[Sam Sagnella]

Tornado Watch #334 has been issued for NErn Co, extreme SE WY, and extreme SW NE, valid until 0200UTC.

First tornado warning also just out to the north of Denver; we've got a long day ahead.
TOR - SWrn Weld County, CO

 

[Kiel Ortega]

There is a doughnut hole associated with the tornado on the radar from KFTG with this storm

 

[Brian Stertz]

* AT 1135 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO NEAR GILCREST...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREELEY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHWEST AT 29 MPH.

Well that did not take long. Looks like a long day is ahead indeed
Wow what a couplet in WC Weld Co. Colorado and moving northwest to boot.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Look out Greeley/Ft Collins area!!

[FONT=lucida sans typewriter, lucida console, courier]AT 1140 AM MDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS CONTINUED TO REPORT A
LARGE TORNADO 3 EAST OF MILLIKEN. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
MILLIKEN...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREELEY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
NORTHWEST AT 29 MPH. [/FONT]

This storm has formed on the N side of the surface low, where mid 50s Tds are streaming westward/upslope into an area of mid 60s SFC temps. 0-1km SRH >100m2/s2, and 0-1km shear of ~20kt in this thermodynamic environment is apparently enough to get a big tornado going.

 

[Bart_Comstock]

This is looking to be a very serious and dangerous situation in Colorado, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a tornado emergancy issued shortly as local spotters in Weld County, Colorado are reporting a very large and violent tornado with that cell as it tracks north towards Ft. Collins metro and straight for Welington's center.
​

 

[Karen Politte]

I was just looking at the radar loop Sam posted above and trying to figure out if my computer has totally gone to shot or if that cell is indeed moving northwest - LOL! Been a while since I've seen an intense, northwest-moving tornado warned supercell.

Looks like Ft. Collins might be in trouble......what incredible structure!!!!

KP

 

[Darren Addy]

Actually, with the N/NW vector it is Windsor that I'd be worried about. (I've got friends there.) If you like to look on the bright side, this may help out the depressed housing/construction businesses in the area. (dark humor).

 

[Heidi Farrar]

I have family in Greeley; just got off the phone with them. One works at UNC & the tornado sirens went off there AFTER the storm was well to their west.

It looks like Windsor had to have taken a direct hit. The TVS was showing 124 knts as it was right on top of them!

 

[Jeff Lawson]

My parents live in this general area, and it just so happened that I was on the phone with my mother when the first TOR was issued. I figured it was just a landspout situation, and told her not to worry much about it. Then, after I hung up, I saw the "large and violent tornado" wording in the warning text and the obvious hook on radar. Color me surprised.

Any tornado would have passed through the relatively open space between Greeley and Loveland. There is a lot of new suburban development scattered throughout that area, however.

Local news here in Denver is reporting possible damage in Gilcrest. Reporter west of Greeley stated that the tornado crossed Hwy 34 near his location. Tornado was apparently 1/4 mile wide.

. . .

Video from earlier now on local news... huge wedge as it crossed Hwy. 34 west of Greeley. Wow. I don't know if the anchors really understood what they were looking at.

 

[Darren Addy]

Any tornado would have passed through the relatively open space between Greeley and Loveland. There is a lot of new suburban development scattered throughout that area, however.

Windsor occupies that spot and has been a boom town bedroom community for people who work in Ft. Collins, Loveland and Greeley (situated conveniently between the three). It used to be a tiny 3000 population town, but has grown to be at least 10x that in the past decade or so. While it may be too soon too start with the "armaggedon" comments, it looks like Windsor would have been hard to miss. If it stays on the ground, next up: Ft. Collins.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Windsor occupies that spot and has been a boom town bedroom community for people who work in Ft. Collins, Loveland and Greeley (situated conveniently between the three). It used to be a tiny 3000 population town, but has grown to be at least 10x that in the past decade or so. While it may be too soon too start with the "armaggedon" comments, it looks like Windsor would have been hard to miss. If it stays on the ground, next up: Ft. Collins.

Indeed, Windsor really looks to have taken it on the chin.

FWIW, the 2006 population estimate was nearly 16,000.
Crossing the interstate...

 

[Bart_Comstock]

Looks like the storm just east of Bolder is producing a tornado now as well according to local law enforcement. Bad day for that area, thats a fairly well populated stretch of Interstate there around Bolder.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Video of WEDGE TORNADO in Weld County on CNN -- WOW.

 

[Chris Lott]

I think it's very interesting to have a violent tornado in not exactly the best conditions, if these stations are reporting right. Wellington reporting a temp of 55 and td of 51.

http://www.wunderground.com/stationmaps/gmap.asp?zip=82002

 

[Jeff Lawson]

Video still of the tornado as it crossed Hwy. 34 (with more images in the slideshow):

http://www.9news.com/9slideshows/Weld County Tornado 5-22-08/Default.aspx?N=7

This would have been as the tornado was approaching Windsor. One thing I noticed watching the video is that the tornado was moving at a pretty good clip.