WELD COUNTY, Colo. – The first tornado of the season hit Colorado Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.
The NWS Boulder division issued a Tornado Warning for areas in Weld County including Eaton and Lucerne at around 6:18 p.m. The warning was in effect until 6:45 p.m.
Tornado Warning including Eaton CO, Lucerne CO until 6:45 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/lIjnHaFxZP
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) March 23, 2019
Just before 7 p.m., NWS officials issued a special weather statement for central Weld County "due to potential landspout tornado development thru 7:45 p.m." They said most of the threat remains east of Highway 85. Showers will move in from the west and continue through the evening.
A "landspout tornado" is defined as a weak tornado that is caused by swirling wind being drawn up by a thunderstorm.
First Alert Weather Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson confirmed a landspout tornado had touched down in the area during Denver7 News at 6 p.m.
Nelson said that while tornadoes can happen in March, it's very rare to seem them this early in the year. In nearly 30 years of weather forecasting, Nelson said he's only reported on two tornadoes during the month of March. You can watch the segment below:
According to the Tornado History Project, which has kept a record of tornado activity since the 1950s, Friday's landspout tornado in Weld County was Colorado's first March tornado since March 28, 2007.
There were no reports of injuries or damage to property, a spokesperson for the Weld County Sheriff's Office said Friday night.
