The National Weather Service in Grand Junction confirmed Tuesday that a tornado touched down Monday evening near Towaoc.
A weather service storm spotter reported seeing the funnel cloud at approximately 8:40 p.m. from a position about two miles north of Towaoc.
Jim Pringle, a meteorologist for the weather service, said the twister reportedly touched down briefly before returning to the cloud.
Its kind of a good thing that most tornados in this area occur in remote locations, Pringle said. To my knowledge theres never been any fatalities.
There was no weather instrument recording of the twister. A tornado warning was in effect from 8:47 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Wind gusts of 44 mph were recorded at the Cortez Municipal Airport, Pringle said.
Montezuma County Emergency Manager Doug Parker said no injuries or property damage have been reported.
Lightning and rain can be just as dangerous, Parker said, especially with the monsoon season. During storms, Parker suggests seeking shelter indoors or in a low-lying area away from culverts or ditches where flash floods can occur.
It is dangerous to attempt to cross moving water in a vehicle, he said.
In the event of severe weather, Parker encourages the public to stay close to a radio or weather radio.
Jim Andrus, a weather monitor in Cortez, said Mondays storm featured frequent lightning and the first measurable rainfall of the month, which came in at 0.17 inches in Cortez.
It has been a solid month since we got any measurable rainfall, he said.
Precipitation for the year remains at 56 percent of normal, Andrus said.
Although not all tornados are reported to the weather service, the last documented, local tornado occurred in April 1985 approximately 15 miles southeast of Cortez, Pringle said. The 1985 twister ranked F2 on the Fugita Scale and left a scar one mile long and 40 yards wide. The Fugita Scale ranges from F0 to the most damaging tornado, an F5.
Mondays tornado-producing storm looked otherwise normal on radar, Pringle said.
It was a storm that happened to have a rotating updraft, he said.
In the unlikely event of a tornado, officials urge residents to take shelter indoors in a basement or center of a structure away from doors or windows.
Individuals with information on the tornado are encouraged to call Pringle at 970-243-7007 ext. 726
Reach Reid Wright at [email protected]
