Scattered Severe Thunderstorms Across the Northern Plains; Fire Weather Concerns in the Western U.S.

Scattered severe thunderstorms are forecast across central and eastern North Dakota, as well as far northwest Minnesota Saturday (Slight Risk level 2 of 5). Damaging wind gusts are the primary threat. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions will persist through the weekend across the Western U.S. Isolated dry thunderstorms could lead to new fire starts over portions of the northern Rockies. Read More >

Overview

During the early afternoon of July 20th, a supercell thunderstorm developed over western Teller County. As this storm tracked eastward, it quickly developed a tornado on the northern slopes of Pikes Peak. This tornado caused extensive tree damage just west of the Pikes Peak Highway, with numerous large and healthy softwood uprooted trees observed. The tornado then crossed the Pikes Peak Highway in between mile markers 8 and 9, where it increased in intensity. Once again, extensive tree damage with numerous uprooted softwood trees along with sporadic snapped softwood trees. At this point, the tornado was likely at peak intensity given the extent of the tree damage. Damage in this area was consistent, with the degree of damage indicating the highest estimated winds were up to 108 mph. Clear convergent and cyclonic damage patterns were well noted in this area. The tornado continued east crossing the Crystal Creek Reservoir, where additional uprooted softwood trees were observed. The tornado then proceeded to cross the Pikes Peak Highway two more times causing similar tree damage, before lifting close to the Pikes Peak Highway near mile marker 5.

Tornado
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Tornadoes:

Tornado - LOCATION
COUNTY NAME

Date	07/20/23
Time (Local)	200 PM MDT
EF Rating	1
Est. Peak Winds	108 MPH
Path Length	2.18 miles
Max Width	75 yards
Injuries/Deaths	None

Track Map

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph