High Risk CO?

[Adam Adkins]

I live in Colorado, and being 17 and all, I can't really drive too terribly far when chasing and so my question is: In all the years that the SPC has been around, has there ever been a "High Risk" issued including any part of Colorado?

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I don't recall there ever being a high risk in Colorado, I could be wrong though. But there have been high risks near the Colorado border in Kansas with a MDT risk extending west into Colorado..

http://www.spc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2008/day1otlk_20080522_2000.html

 

[Wesley Luginbyhl]

I dont recall one either, but May 15, 2003 looks really close. The 25% tornado threat is crossing the CO border. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2003/day1otlk_20030515_2000.html

 

[Danny Neal]

I haven't looked at the outlooks for this day but one day that sticks in my mind that could be a "maybe" was 3/28/07.

 

[Brandon Goforth]

Don't worry about the little things...just know that there are plenty of tornadoes to be seen in Colorado every year.

 

[Wesley Luginbyhl]

I haven't looked at the outlooks for this day but one day that sticks in my mind that could be a "maybe" was 3/28/07.

Believe it or not, 3-28-07 was never higher than a "MDT".

 

[Skip Talbot]

Believe it or not, 3-28-07 was never higher than a "MDT".

Rich Thompson pointed it out during his talk at 2008's Chasercon as a day that probably should have gone high risk in hindsight. There was even a killer tornado in Colorado that day in addition to the huge outbreak up and down the dryline.

 

[MatthewCarman]

Wikipedia has a list of all High Risk Outlooks issued by the SPC. There may be an event or two that was missed. Here is the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SPC_high-risk_days

May 22, 2008 is the only day in the list for Colorado. 1 tornado was confirmed on the 22 with 5 more confirmed on the 23rd for Colorado. There were associated with a much larger outbreak that affected Wyoming to Ohio and Manitoba to Texas over several days in late May starting on the 22 according to Wikipedia. Over 250 tornadoes reported with 235 of them confirmed. Kansas had 16 tornadoes on the 22 and 70 on the 23rd. 12 on the 25th and 10 on the 29th making a total of 114 tornadoes from the 22 to the 29th so Colorado was close to the action.

May 22 was the Windsor, Colorado tornado day.

 

[Adam Adkins]

I really just want some of those MDT or HIGH risks as far west as possible. I remember June 2, 2005 there was a moderate risk all the way west to the foothills. Too bad I was living in Detroit at the time...

And I remember May 22, 08. I remember I was stuck at home while my parents were out with both cars while a mile-wide tornado was going on north of Denver. I seem to remember getting angry...
But! Just this weekend I was in Windsor shooting eagles - in the same location that the tornado hit - and there was almost no evidence TO ME! I spoke to a woman there that said the lake used to be surrounded by trees - and there were almost none there anymore! Here is a link to one of those eagle shots in case you are interested (not to get of topic!).

 

[MatthewCarman]

According to the SPC outlook there was no high risk that day in Colorado. I don't know why Wikipedia has it listed for that date.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2008/day1otlk_20080522_2000_prt.gif

 

[Danny Neal]

Believe it or not, 3-28-07 was never higher than a "MDT".

Damn.... I should have looked. But I believe it. It definitely seemed like a high risk!

 

[Patrick Martin]

I think the proximity to the mountains and the elevation preclude the ingredients necessary to create an environment that could warrant a high risk. Don't worry though, more tornadoes are seen on slight risk days.

 

[Shane Adams]

According to the SPC outlook there was no high risk that day in Colorado. I don't know why Wikipedia has it listed for that date.

Because anybody can edit and contribute to wikipedia...which is why I don't use it.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Because anybody can edit and contribute to wikipedia...which is why I don't use it.

It's a good resource if you use the citations provided, and then you can judge for yourself.

 

[Mike Deep]

Wikipedia is basically a source aggregator with its own summary articles that are rather aggressively moderated. It's hardly the 'wild west' of misinformation its made out to be. Malicious edits and the users that make them tend to have short stays.

In this case I think it was simply a mistake, somebody misread the map - which could have happened on any site, really (Only now you can trace the error using the source and the submitter).