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

[HAltschule]

Local news out of Denver reporting numerous buildings and houses damaged in Windsor, CO. Also 2 semi's blown off highway.

 

[Geoff Manikin]

The reflectivity appeared to show a "ball shape" as it moved through Windsor, the kind you often see if there is a lot of debris in the hook area. Not good.

 

[HAltschule]

Spotter in Windsor reported a wedge tornado on the ground.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Windsor Fire Department spokeswoman on CNN now; describing tornado that went right over her location in the EOC/Fire Dept. No specific numbers, but serious situation no doubt. Should we start a DISC thread for this?

 

[cstrunk]

More storms firing southeast of Fort Morgan have intensified rapidly and bear watching IMO.

Those video stills are incredible of that wedge! There are some cars that were VERY close on the highway!

 

[Scott Lincoln]

The reflectivity appeared to show a "ball shape" as it moved through Windsor, the kind you often see if there is a lot of debris in the hook area. Not good.

It likely was not a debris echo. Lowest scan was at 2000-3000ft AGL. If you looked at higher tilts at the same time, you could see similar artifacts. It was likely rain/hail wrapping around the circulation. After that point it started to weaken.

 

[HAltschule]

1 Fatality now being reported in the CO tornado. Sad. Lets hope this isn't an early start to a deadly day!!!

EDIT: TV Reporter stating numerous ambulances and fire trucks still heading to the scene. Reports of destroyed houses in Windsor. He states severe damage there.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

FYI, I started a DISC thread for continuing discussion on the Windsor CO situation; many chasers out today use this thread for updates, so we should keep it to current wx info.
http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16552

 

[Sam Sagnella]

New red box out for most of western KS. Additionally, MCD suggests add'l watch likely further south into Ern TX Pan/W OK.

EDIT: Not surprisingly, newly released watch text indicates Tornado Watch #335 is a PDS.

 

[Scott Lincoln]

Is the Cheyenne office asleep at the wheel? That northern storm is recycled and has a very strong couplet. We know that today has the environment to produce tornadoes, and we have the radar signature. There should be a tornado warning out for Laramie, WY, and areas southeast.

Up to 110kts of shear now....

 

[David Wolfson]

Near Pierceville, KS, just ese of Garden City, on the cell just severe warned. Storm is early, continuing to organize, moving from approx. 190 at 35. TBC

 

[Geoff Manikin]

Tor warning now out for Laramie, but it sure would be impressive if they got a tornado with a temperature in the upper 40's. The Windsor storm went nuts right along the warm front, and this appears to be well into the cooler air and in theory elevated. Still, mesoanalysis suggests about 250 j/kg of sfc-based cape, so maybe it is still sfc-based, and I have to agree that a tornado warning is justified.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Decent TCU East of the cluster to the West near Colby, sfc winds gusting to at least 35kts out of ESE here right along the WF, the wind shear is visibly insane, anything that comes near this boundary is going to be crazy...

 

[Scott Lincoln]

Tornado reported with the Laramie, WY storm by the public along I-80. Looks to be on the eastern side of town now where US30 and I-80 split. Movement to the northwest will take it right over eastern portions of the city, near the University, if it remains on the ground.

EDIT: now looks to be about 1 mile or so outside of town to the north, near US287.

 

[Sam Sagnella]

Tornado Watch 336 out for an area 70 miles E and W of a line from 50N Gage OK to 55SW Wichita Falls TX. Not sure yet if this, too, is a PDS watch.
http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KWNS/0805221925.wwus30.html

EDIT: Not PDS, but prob of one or more sigtors is 30%.