Severe Thunderstorm Warning 265, NWS Norman, OK

OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
300 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT OVER MOST OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.. EAST OF A LINE
FROM BUFFALO TO SHATTUCK AND WEST OF A LINE FROM PONCA CITY TO ARDMORE.
A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO EXISTS TONIGHT OVER THE REST
OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. IN ADDITION.. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL THAT MAY CREATE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING PROBLEMS TONIGHT OVER
MOST OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

GUSTY SOUTH WINDS CONTINUE TO DRAW WARM MOIST AIR INTO THE STATE AT LOW
LEVELS THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT. THIS AFTERNOON
THE FRONT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL KANSAS ACROSS NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA INTO
THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. A DRY LINE INTERSECTS THE FRONT OVER THE TEXAS
PANHANDLE AND EXTENDS SOUTHWARD ACROSS WEST TEXAS. THE WIND FIELD ALOFT
IS FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT, AS OKLAHOMA LIES BETWEEN TWO
JET STREAMS - ONE FROM COLORADO NORTHEASTWARD AND THE OTHER RUNNING
WEST TO EAST ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE LIES NEAR
THE ARIZONA-NEW MEXICO BORDER AND WILL APPROACH OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT AND DRY
LINE THIS AFTERNOON IN RESPONSE TO DESTABILIZATION FROM AFTERNOON
HEATING. THE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON, REMAINING STRONG AS THE APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM
PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE SLOWLY
EASTWARD TONIGHT, WITH THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BY
EARLY TONIGHT AND ON INTO FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA LATE TONIGHT.

WITH THE UPPER SYSTEM STILL FAR TO THE WEST OF THE STATE, SEVERE
WEATHER MAY GET A LATE START TODAY. HOWEVER WITH THE UPPER SUPPORT
CROSSING THE STATE DURING THE NIGHT, THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER
MAY CONTINUE WELL INTO THE NIGHT AS THE ACTIVITY SPREADS INTO EASTERN
OKLAHOMA. ALSO, THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF BOTH THE SURFACE FRONT AND THE
UPPER SYSTEM, COMBINED WITH VERY ABUNDANT MOISTURE, WILL SET THE STAGE
FOR A POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN EVENT TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL AND
EASTERN OKLAHOMA. RAINFALL TOTALS OF OVER 5 INCHES COULD OCCUR IN SOME
AREAS RESULTING IN FLOODING, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE AREAS THAT RECEIVED
HEAVY RAIN ON WEDNESDAY. APPROPRIATE AGENCIES ARE URGED TO BE ON THE
THE ALERT ACCORDINGLY.

SPOTTERS IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA WILL LIKELY BE THE FIRST TO SEE ACT=ION,
BUT ACTIVATION OF SPOTTER NETWORKS WILL PROBABLY NOT BE REQUIRED UNTIL
LATE AFTERNOON AT THE EARLIEST.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
435 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR FOARD...HARDEMAN..AND KNOX COUNTIES
UNTIL 1100 PM CDT...

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND SURROUDING COUNTIES
FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...

AT 435 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER NORTHWEST
OKLAHOMA AND THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND SOUTH PLAINS.

A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORSM HAD DEVELOPED 15 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF
CHILDRESS. MOVEMENT...NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.