May 20, 2020 Weld County Tornadoes

Summary:

This short lived landspout tornado was caught on video by a storm spotter from a location at Weld County Roads (WCR) 74/43 and it was quite a ways away from the spotter in the video. The location and path were  approximated based on video and a dust/dirt detection and weak rotation from CSU's CHIVO radar at the time of the video.  No other known video or photos exist of the tornado and no damage reported.  It may be the same circulation as one of the tornadoes south of Weld County 66 but it is possible the dust dissipated for a bit before picking back up on the farm where the farmer in a tractor videoed it in front of her (tornado #3). CHIVO radar tracks the circulation over the farm just south of Weld Co 66 at 6:44 PM.  Video from the storm chaser at 74/43 showed it either dissipating or impossible to see from his vantage point right around 6:43 PM.  EF rating based on other tornadoes that day.

Summary:

This tornado was filmed by a storm chaser who was at the intersection of Weld Co 74/43, and it was very close to him.  It hit a farm just west of Weld Co 74/41 and did EF-0 damage consisting of blown in barn doors and a fiberglass canoe lofted into a tree.  Rated with a DOD of 2/3.

Summary:

This tornado was filmed by a farmer in her tractor, most likely the very start of the tornado.  The start time and location is precise given the ground circulation formed less than 100 yds in front of a farmer in her tractor.  At the end of the video she didn't see any more dust but CHIVO radar indicates a tornado continuing to the NNW of her, in the direction and speed of motion such that it is likely the same circulation despite a lack of dust right at the surface.  A tornado was photographed a matter of minutes later by a storm chaser on CO-392 at the right location/time based on average movement of the tornadoes that day.   It struck an irrigation pivot and twisted it, consistent with EF-0 damage.  This tornado was also witnessed by the farmer's husband on another part of their farm.  The tornado moved northwest along the surface boundary and was videoed at 6:52 PM as being just north of CO-392.  The same chaser captured simultaneous tornadoes at 6:52:  this one and tornado #4 which was 2 miles south of CO-392 at the time.  Yet another photograph taken from east of Loveland on top of a hill shows two tornadoes 15 miles away to the east-northeast, separated by 2-4 miles, at exactly 6:54 PM.  That was this tornado and tornado #4.  CHIVO radar has it dissipating around 6:56 PM around the intersection of WCR 43/70.  Dissipation time and location are approximate based on radar.

Summary:

This tornado was witnessed, photographed, and/or videoed by several people.  The start time/location is estimated by CHIVO radar as no eye witnesses saw it until 6:48 or 6:49 PM.  However, the radar signature shows dust/dirt and a decent circulation that is continuous throughout the the start/end times.  This tornado was filmed by a farmer in her tractor from 6:50-6:53, and was at least a mile to her northeast.  It was ongoing when she started filming.  The tornado was also photographed and filmed from 6:52 - 6:59 PM, roughly, by a chaser on CO-392.  At nearly the same time, a resident on WCR66 and east of WCR 47 videoed this tornado just to the NE and then N of her farm.  The chaser on CO-392 captured it crossing CO-392 and hitting a barn just north of CO-392, at 6:57 PM.  CHIVO radar shows a significant circulation and dust/dirt throughout the reported time window of this tornado, continuing north of CO-392. This tornado was also photographed from 15 miles east of Loveland at 6:54 PM, showing two tornadoes on the ground at the same time, this one and tornado #3 to the northwest.  Damage to the farm north of CO-392 was minor and consisted seriously damaging an aluminum shed, consistent with  high end EF-0 with winds 83 mph, and a Degree of Damage of 3.  The video shows the shed getting hit and debris scattered to the northwest.  The tornado dissipated somewhere around WCR70/45 based on radar.  An eyewitness on WCR45 north of WCR70 mentioned seeing a tornado prior to his filming a tornado at 7:14 PM (which was tornado #5).  We presume tornado #4 is the tornado he witnessed.   CHIVO has it dissipating around 7:01 PM.

Summary:

This tornado was filmed or photographed numerous times along it's path, just like tornado #4 which was also longer track.  Tornado #5 was the longest track tornado for this event and we received photos, video, or eye witness accounts for nearly it's entire path.  In terms of it's depiction on CHIVO radar, this also had the best radar signatures for the event, both in regards to rotation on velocity products, and dust/dirt on reflectivity products.  The start of the tornado was estimated based on CHIVO radar with an easily trackable signature beginning 6:56 PM just north of WCR 60 1/2.  The tornado may have occurred earlier and further south based on CHIVO radar but we are using a conservative estimate for start time/location.  The first known person to witness this tornado was a spotter on WCR 47, just south of WCR66, at 7:04 PM.  He filmed the tornado not far to his east.   The same spotter photographed/videoed it through 7:09 PM when it was off to his north.  CHIVO radar had this tornado crossing CO-392 at around 7:07 PM.  A different chaser driving south on WCR 43 films the tornado starting at 7:08 PM, and films the tornado continuously until it dissipates at 7:21 PM.  A Weld County emergency management representative films this tornado from WCR 41 south of WCR 74 from 7:14 - 7:17 PM off to the south-southeast.  Two residents film this tornado between 7:14 - 7:17 from different angles, one north of WCR 70 on WCR45, and west of WCR 45 on WCR70.  Finally, a storm chaser captures a photo of this tornado to his southwest, from a hill on WCR 76/47.  The end time and location is precise for this tornado because it was filmed and the location was known.  This tornado went over several farms and managed to damage a older barn near the intersection of WCR72/43.  Damage consisted of a wall blown over from an outbuilding, consistent with EF-0 damage and a Degree of Damage of 3.

Summary:

This brief tornado was photographed by storm chasers and CSU's CHIVO radar had some weak rotation in this area.  Location and path are both approximate and based on radar from a range of about 45 nm.  The tornado did not damage anything but it's safe to assume EF-0 based on all other tornadoes this day.