The Tornado That Changed My Perspective as a Meteorologist

It's been seven years and the events from that day and the days that followed are still freshly stamped in my mind. May 22, 2008 is a day that residents of Windsor, Colorado will remember forever.

I was finishing up my freshman year studying meteorology at the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley, Colorado which was about 20 minutes east of my hometown of Windsor. Several fellow meteorology majors and I had plans to go storm chasing in western Kansas, where the Storm Prediction Center had issued a Moderate Risk for storms.

We embarked on what would turn into an 800 mile, 15 hour drive, not having any idea that one of the deadly storms that day would strike right in our backyard.

The 22nd was day two of stormy weather for the high Plains. No tornadoes had been reported the day before, but there were hail and wind producing storms in eastern Colorado and central Wyoming.

The atmospheric setup was ripe for strong storms across western portions of the Plains. A closed upper level low was located over southern Nevada and this put north central Colorado right at the left-exit region of the jet streaks rotating around the low.

The surface low pressure was centered right over Colorado, with a boundary was separating a dry and cool air mass to the south and east from a warm and moist air mass that was slowly creeping northward.

This satellite image from RAMMB Satellite Case Studies depicts the distinctly different air masses.

As we drove east from Greeley around 9 or 10 that morning, conditions were overcast and humid. We had no idea, but the storm that would go on to produce the tornado was already developing northeast of Denver, almost directly over Denver International Airport.

Here is a timeline of the storm from start to finish:

9:30 am: Storm began to form in east central Colorado and move northwest. 10:30 am: Storm began to gain strength and was getting close to turning severe. 11:09: The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southeastern Larimer county and southwestern Weld county. 11:15 am: First hail was reported in Gilcrest (1.00”) 11:18: A tornado warning that was issued for southwestern Weld County-Doppler indicated tornado 23 miles south of Greeley. 11:35: Tornado warning issued for southeastern Larimer county and west central Weld county. The tornado was now 10 miles southwest of Greeley, traveling northwest at approximately 29mph. 11:53: Tornado warning was still in effect for east central Larimer county, and west central Weld county. Large tornado had been reported 5 miles southeast of Windsor, moving northwest at 29mph. 11:57am: Tornado moves through the eastern side of Windsor. 12:45 pm: Tornado has dissipated near Wellington

The Windsor tornado was unusual in many aspects. May and June are the peak months for tornadoes for Colorado, so the time of year was not unusual. This may come as a surprise to some residents, but Weld County holds the distinction of being the county with the most tornadoes reported. This is due in large part to its size.

However, most tornadoes that form in Colorado do not develop as early as this one did, before noon. Most do not travel north northwest and most do not reach the strength and intensity that this one did, especially so close to the Front Range. The tornado was rated an upper EF-2 to lower EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The amount of time that the tornado was on the ground was also highly unusual, as most tornadoes in that part of Colorado are weak and short-lived. This storm wreaked havoc over a 39 mile long path, from Platteville through Windsor.

The footage below is taken from an overpass as the tornado crossed over Highway 34, heading right for Windsor.

This next video was footage shot in Windsor and shows the massive hail that was falling prior to the tornado moving through.

One final video is security webcam footage from the State Farm office, located off of Highway 34. It shows the size and shape of the tornado as it approaches and then moves directly over the office.

As all of this is going on, my friends and I were leaving Colorado, in the hopes of seeing a supercell produce a tornado out in the open fields of western Kansas. We began to receive texts and phone calls from friends and family who were unaware we were out chasing. They were wondering if we were okay and what was going on, saying they had heard about a tornado in northern Colorado. We looked at each other and laughed. No way was there a tornado going through the area we had left just a few hours ago. People were messing with us because we were driving all the way to Kansas to see storms.

However, as more and more texts and reports came in, we realized this was not a joke. I called my mom, who was home alone in Windsor. She answered the phone and said that she was out in the yard picking up large hail stones. When I heard that, I panicked and my instinct as a young meteorologist kicked in. Large hail is usually what precedes a tornado striking and there had already been reports of one on the ground. I frantically yelled at her to get the dog and get back down to the basement, which she did. The path the tornado took brought it within a mile of my parents home.

The neighborhood that was hit the hardest was located right behind the church I grew up in. The church became the head quarters for the Red Cross in the aftermath of the storm. Due to the amount of time the tornado was on the ground, residents had time to get to shelter before it hit. One daycare moved children into the vault of a bank nearby, a move that without a doubt saved their lives. Unfortunately, there was one fatality. A man was trying to escape the tornado in a mobile home at an RV park east of Windsor and did not survive.

Our chase team arrived back in Greeley around 3am, but I was awake and driving to Windsor by 8am. I needed to see the damage caused by this tornado for myself. I am not at all ashamed to admit that, as I entered Windsor and saw the destruction and devastation, I cried. The weather was, and obviously still is, my greatest passion in life. My fascination with tornadoes and severe weather suddenly became incredibly personal, as I saw what one storm had done to the town I grew up in.

Those are all photos I took as I drove through the damage path. The car was my neighbors car and had been parked directly in the path of the storm. Mud splatters cover one side of the car, where winds threw dirt and debris toward the vehicle.

In the days and weeks following the storm, I went back many times to help with the recovery efforts. I heard many stories from residents, including one from my former piano teacher who lived very close to the tornado path. She mentioned that after the tornado passed, she noticed her pianos were no longer in tune. The incredibly low pressure from the tornado (822.9 mb was recorded at the Colorado State University Main Campus Weather Station) had that bizarre effect on the instrument.

Many young children in the areas impacted by the tornado were now terrified of any kind of storm activity. My meteorology program was approached by a group of counselors and together we formed a team called Colorado Spirit. We traveled to schools and other venues and gave presentations that explained why the storm was so unusual to try and alleviate the kids fear of storms.

We also made sure they were informed and knowledgeable about all kinds of weather and how to stay safe, if and when a tornado were to ever strike again. It was an incredibly rewarding experience and one that will stick with me as I continue my career as a meteorologist. The Windsor tornado changed my perspective of the weather when it had a direct and personal impact on my life and on the lives of many people I knew. Many meteorologists have a story like mine. A storm that will always stay in their mind and drive them to be the best meteorologist they can be.

As a freshman in college, I hadn't quite figured out what my focus within meteorology would be. That all changed after May 22, 2008. After that, I knew that I wanted to help people understand the weather better. I wanted them to have the knowledge to know what to look for and how to react, so that the next time a storm struck, they would not be afraid. That is why I am so grateful to have this blog on AccuWeather.com to be able to get the word out about severe storms and other impactful weather.

Were you affected by the Windsor tornado? Leave a comment here or on Storm Blog Facebook page or tweet to me at @AccuWxBeck.

Here are some recollections of the day from Facebook friends:

Brandy Shaw Brown: "I remember working that day. I was one of the staff incharge of opening at the Red Robin right off Highway 34 and 47th ave. The power had shut off, and everyone was outside throwing around a football and hanging out, waiting to see if we actually had to work that day. Our manager made the decision to stay closed. Also as a Freshman at UNC and the dorms already closed for the summer, I was commuting from Greeley to Fort Collins. I remember getting in my car and seeing dark skies. Afternoon thunderstorms were nothing new this time of year. Usually we get pounded with rain for an hour and it's gone. I also grew up with the assumption we could never have a tornado this close to the mountains. I remember in Fort Collins growing up and hearing about them, but I-25 was always a boundary line. I got on Highway 34 heading home to Fort Collins. In about 10 minutes, as soon as I passed the JBS buildings, I was in a whiteout of hail, my windsheild wipers in my old jetta couldn't work fast enough. Just ahead a State Trooper was merging people onto the shoulder and under the overpass. I remember I crept forward, looking in my review mirror and seeing this massive, rotating, dark cloud crossing the highway right behind us. All I could do was stay in my car and watch. Just the size of it was impressive. With tornados I always expected to see a smaller funnel and hear that freight train sound, but besides the pounding hail, it was eerily silent. It passed over us almost a quickly as it appeared to come out of no where. I remember the next couple weeks driving to work and seeing the path it left behind. A few shattered windows, trees downed, and a few abandoned barns leveled."

Todd Reynolds: "I was glad I wasn't still at Pizza Hut when this happened! I remember working at CSU this day, calling my mom to get her into her closet and close all the doors as she went in. Then just driving home, saw all the damage from the smaller tornadoes that hit Fort Collins and Loveland. I was having an inspection on my 4 plex in Loveland that day (was in the process of buying), and the inspector didn't understand why the property management company want willing to bring him a key, until much later that day. I also remember being upset because I had work to get done and they wouldn't let us out of the office that day."

Erica Vallejo: "Always remember May, 22nd because of this tornado. I'm still traumatized. I remember having recurring dreams for months after this. That day I remember leaving to work at about 11:20am and saw the sky was dark and kind of brown, but I thought it was like any other storm. As soon as I got to work, I was a server then, I took an order and then the lights went out then hail started falling, a lot. Looked like it had snowed!! I went to the back door at my job then, and saw cars getting under the carwash to protect their cars from hail damage, all while watching my car getting pounded by hail. I called my dad a few times to ask if my insurance covered hail damage and he didn't answer. I called again and he was asking if I was ok and I said yes it was just a storm he said no it was a tornado. I was in shock since I didn't see or hear a tornado on the side of town I was on. The damage was horrible, my parents house wasn't too damaged compared to our neighbors 2 houses down who got their roof taken off completely by this storm.

Another interesting and a miracle story I remember is my dad saying a lady was looking at the house next door, since it was on sale, and my dad ran outside to put the car in the garage. But there was no tornado warning, and you know we didn't have sirens in town. So then he heard a loud sound and realized it was a tornado. So he ran to the basement. He had forgotten about the last outside while all this was going on but later said he would have told her to take shelter in our basement. The miracle of this story is that my dad said she took shelter under a tree that was in the yard of the house she was looking at. He told me she told my dad after the storm that she prayed, and survived under the tree!! Our house is on Columbine Dr. So it's blocks away from where the tornado did the most damage, like on the side of town where Kodak is."

Amber Lynn Manalabe: "Oh geez. I just started working at Kings just 2 months before this happened. I was in the back room working and then it went pitch black. They made the announcement over the intercom for all employees and customers to go to the back room for shelter. It was scary. Couldn't do a lot at work so after the hail stopped they let some of us go home. The damage was crazy to see! What usually takes me not even 5 minutes to get to my parents house, took me almost 2 hours. Kept gettimg directed in circles to avoid the really badly damaged areas. Which included my parents neighborhood (Cornerstone). Couldn't believe how bad it was. Seeing people crying because they lost their homes. It was really hard to see."

Report a Typo