How meteorologists forecast for severe weather in Colorado

When forecasting severe weather, meteorologists across the country will often refer to the acronym S.L.I.M.

Analyzing these variables helps to predict the severity and kind of thunderstorms expected

CURRENT TEMPERATURES ALL OVERSOUTHERN COLORADO....LOWS TONIGHT IN THE 30'S AND40'SHIGHS TOMORROW IN THE 60'S AND70'SEXTENDED FORECAST....A FEWSTORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERESATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLYEVENING ALONG THE I-25 CORRIDOROUT TO THE KANSAS BORDER.HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SOMEOF THE STORMS.COOLER SUNDAY WITH PM RAIN ANDSTORMS.A HEAVIER RAIN POSSIBLE MONDAYWITHA 2 ON THE STORM IMPACTSCALE.A DAILY CHANCE OF RAIN ANDSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH NEXTTHURSDAY.AND MIKE'S FORECAST IS AREMINDER THAT THUNDERSTORMS WILLBECOME MORE COMMON AS WE GETDEEPER INTO SPRING.METEOROLOGIST ALEX O'BRIEN JOINSUS NOW TO EXPLAIN WHAT GOES INTOFORECASTING SEVERE WEATHER.SEVERE WEATHER SEASON INCOLORADO BEGINS IN MAY, PEAKS INJUNE, AND CAN LAST UNTIL AUGUST.AND EVERY YEAR WE SEE LARGEHAIL, TORNADOES, AND FLASHFLOODING.I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH THEPROCESS THE FIRST ALERT 5WEATHER TEAM GOES THROUGH TOFORECAST SEVERE WEATHER.WE USE AN ACRONYM CALLED SLIM.THE FIRST LETTER S STAND FORSHEAR.WIND SHEAR IS WHEN WINDS CHANGEDIRECTION AND SPEED WITH HEIGHT.WINDS THAT VEER WITH HEIGHT CANSUSTAIN THE UPDRAFT OF ATHUNDERSTORM OR CREATE ROTATINGSUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS.THIS CAN IMPACT HAIL SIZE ORLEAD TO TORNADO FORMATION.NEXT IS LIFT.SOMETIMES THE AIR NEEDS TO BEFORCED TO RISE AND FORMTHUNDERSTORMS.A COLD FRONT OR UPSLOPE WINDSINTERACTING WITH TERRAIN WILL DOTHIS.COLORADO'S FRONT RANGE MOUNTAINSARE THE MAIN REASON WHY WE HAVENEAR DAILY THUNDERSTORMS INJUNE.NEXT IS INSTABILITY.THIS IS WHERE CONVECTION COMESIN.WARM AND HUMID AIR WILL BECOMEBOUYANT AND RISE FREELY.THEN THAT AIR COOLS ANDCONDENSES TO MAKE CLOUDS ANDRAIN.AND LAST IS MOISTURE.HIGHER DEWPOINTS TYPICALLYORIGINATE FROM THE GULF OFMEXICO IN SPRING AND SOMETIMESFROM THE PACIFIC DURING LATESUMMER MONSOON PATTERNS.NOW FOR EVERY SEVERE WEATHEREVENT OUR TEAM IS LOOKING ATTHESE DIFFERENT VARIABLES TOPREDICT HOW THEY WILL COMETOGETHER AND WHAT THE HIGHESTSEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS THATDAY.YOU CAN ALSO GAUGE OUR THINKINGON THE SEVERITY OF STORMS ON APARTICULAR DAY WITH OUR STORMIMPACT SCALE ON THE 7 DAYFORECAST.ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOUSOUTHERN COLORADO METEOROLOGISTALEX O'BRIEN