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Courtesy Josh Deere
The tornado that touched down on Colorado's Mount Evans last weekend is the second-highest ever recorded by the National Weather Service.
A twister that touched down in Colorado's high-country on Saturday is estimated to be the second-highest tornado ever recorded in the U.S. by the National Weather Service.
There were four different reported sightings of the high-altitude hit the northeast side of Mount Evans — a prominent mountain located about 60 miles west of Denver. The National Weather Service estimates the tornado's touched down at about 11,900 feet in elevation.
Bob Glancy, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Boulder, Colo., told NBC News that this tornado above the treeline is "not unheard of," but "just unusual." Most tornadoes in high terrain are weak, he said.
For the last two decades, Colorado has averaged 50 tornadoes a year. But Glancy said the "vast majority" occur on the plains east of Interstate 25.
Colorado Springs resident Josh Deere told The Denver Post he saw the funnel as he was driving with his family to the top of Mount Evans.
"As we drove past it, we were able to look back and had some spectacular views of it as it spun and then eventually broke up as it entered the mountain cove," Deere told the Post.
The highest recorded tornado occurred in 2004, according to Glancy, over Rockwell Pass in California's Sequoia National Park. That twister was estimated to be at 12,000 to 12,500 feet.
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Only the second highest? With all those medical pot shops I'd have thought it would have been way higher!
Weather phenomenons have little to do with pot shops unless the weather actually hits the shops. Then it is news.
yeah, and there would be a lot more "volunteers" helping with the cleanup
I would help.
It's kind of hilarious how most people STILL think tornadoes only occur in valleys and that hills or mountains prevent them from developing or progressing. I witnessed a tornado move up a 2,100 foot incline then back down it without even being effected. Then there is the losers who think tall skyscrapers will break up a tornado if it moves into a city. And don't even get me started on people who disregard tornado sirens.... it doesn't matter how many false alarms there has been, some day it won't be a false alarm and that is a big enough risk to ALWAYS head tornado sirens.
I grew up in Kansas. They set off tornado sirens in Denver for the kind of weather that used to make my grandfather go out on the back porch, look up at the sky, and say, "Looks like rain."
My husband grew up on the Jersey Shore. When he first came out to Michigan for college, I had to explain what a tornado warning was and what the siren meant, as he had never heard of such warnings. He claims that he was told in grade school that NJ doesn't get tornadoes, only hurricanes (I thought tornadoes went right along with hurricanes!). Every time a different relative of his visited from back East in warm weather, we had to explain the tornado siren and the reasons for taking cover in the basement (sometimes we just pulled them into the basement and did the explaining after). I hope things have changed in NJ over the past 30-something years.
I have to admit I am one of those people who didn't know they occured at high altitudes. For those of us who don't live in tornado forming areas, why would we know this?
Also, is it just me or is there just a lot of crap happening in Colorado? Fires, Tornados, the horrible killings?
Also, the governor and his wife just announced that they are seperating. What's next a republican president?
But no matter what happens, mr grover, the gop, & the rushbo will never say there is any connection between co2 and global warming and climate change. The rushbo says so every day. He scoffs at science and scientists. Insists that 98% of the world's climate scientists are wrong. He hardly mentions his volcano theory of global warming that he was pushing 10 years ago. Ever since a real volcano erupted and caused global temperatures to drop, the rushbo has not been pushing his volcano theory of global warming.
Nowadays, it's temperature cycling. Without specifying the duration of cycle or the min/max temperatures of the cycle. No. No. No details. All mr grover, the gop, & the rushbo will tell you that it's due to cycles. I tell you based upon the volcano theory 10 years ago, mr grover, the gop, & the rushbo cannot be counted upon for their climate change models.
Interesting, but sheesh, what awful grammar.
Does no one bother to edit these articles?
Nope, the answers to the articles are (for the most part) better written than the articles.
This has not been a good year for Colorado.
I had the exact same thought. Its like Florida.
Also, the governor and his wife just announced that they are seperating. What's next a republican president?
Majicpanties, hehehehehe! I love your nicname so cute! I live in the heart of the mountains and we get tornadoes! Not as frequently like other places, but recently we had ten tornadoes in one evening in Pennsylvania northeast! Yes Virginia, you can get tornadoes in the mountains dear! Loool! Like i said its rare but we do get them! If its a tornado warning i head for the basement! Better safe than sorry!
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.