Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 17, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 14, 1986, 4:13 PM CDT for Grady County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 32 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 14, 1986, 4:13 PM CDT (21:13 UTC)
- Expired
- May 14, 1986, 4:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
County Grady County, OK
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK (KOKC), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 50 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2660 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -36 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 743 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 74 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 147 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 7.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAAOO KOKC 142106
TOROKC
OKC051-142145-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUSTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
413 PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
..NORTHERN GRADY
AT 413 RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF
CHICKASHA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. AMBER IS IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO, THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE, SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS, PILLOWS, OR
CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 14, 10:32 AM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 1035 AM CDT WED MAY 14 1986 SEVERE WEATHER AGAIN THREATENS THE SOONER STATE TODAY. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALREADY IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA HIS MORNING, AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER MUCH OF THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH MOST OF THE STATE YESTERDAY STALLED OVERNIGHT, AND HAS BEGUN TO MOVE BACK NORTHWARD THROUGH THE STATE THIS MORNING. VERY UNSTABLE AIR LIES SOUTH OF THE FRONT AND WILL OVERSPREAD MUCH OF THE STATE BY THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL COMBINE WITH A FAIRLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TO LIFT THE UNSTABLE AIR, RESULTING IN THUNDERSTORMS OVERSPREADING THE STATE THROUGH TONIGHT. SINCE THE AIR IS VERY UNSTABLE AND A LIFTING MECHANISM IS PRESENT, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER MOST OF THE STATE. CURRENT CONDITIONS SUGGEST THE POSSIBILITY OF A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK. ALL INTERESTS IN OKLAHOMA ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS, REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES, AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS. DETAILS OF THE DEVELOPING SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK TO BE ISSUED AT 300 PM. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED THROUGH THE AFTERNOON IN ORDER TO KEEP YOU ADVISED.
Special weather statement, May 14, 12:03 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 1155 AM CDT WED 14 MAY 1986 ...SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... AT 1145AM CDT RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN WEST AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSHOWERS WERE IN TEXAS FROM GUTHRIE TO NEAR SEYMOUR NORTHWARD INTO THE EASTERN TEXAS PAHHANDLE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH IN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH IN TEXAS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. WITH AFTERNOON HEATING IN THE LOWER LEVELS AND THE DRY LINE MOVING EASTWARD OUT OF WEST TEXAS WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY..POSSIBLY SEVERE..WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL..DAMAGING WIND.. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES WILL ACCOMPANY THE THUNDER- STORMS. ALL POSSIBLE PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN NOW. MONITER YOUR RADIO..TELEVISION..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR WEATHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 14, 12:58 PM CDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 1255 AM CDT WED 14 MAY 1986 ...SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TON
Special weather statement, May 14, 2:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 230 PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986 TORNADO WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON OVER ALL BUT THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST PART OF OKLAHOMA. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER THE ENTIRE STATE EXCEPT FOR THE WESTERN PANHANDLE FROM GUYMON WESTWARD. A NEAR CLASSIC SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION IS UNFOLDING OVER OKLAHOMA, WITH PARAMETERS COMING TOGETHER TO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH THE STATE YESTERDAY HAS MOVED BACK NORTHWARD AND NOW LIES ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. WARM AND HUMID AIR LIES SOUTH OF THE FRONT AT LOW LEVELS, WITH COOLER AND DRIER AIR ALOFT MOVING IN ABOVE IT. THIS COMBINATION IS RESULTING IN VERY UNSTABLE AIR OVER MUCH OF THE STATE. ALOFT, TWO DISTURBANCES ARE MOVING TOWARD THE STATE - ONE OVER WEST TEXAS AND A SECOND OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. SEVERE WEATHER HAS DEVELOPED OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA WHERE LIFTING OF THE UNSTABLE AIR IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED BY THE SURFACE FRONT. OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING, AND ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING, OVER WESTERN OKLAHOMA IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACH OF THE FIRST UPPER SYSTEM. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE REST OF THE STATE LATER TODAY AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN STRONG INTO TONIGHT AS THE TWO UPPER SYSTEMS MOVE ACROSS. THE WINDS ALOFT ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SOUTHERLY FLOW AT LOW LEVELS AND STRONGER WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. THIS WIND PATTERN WILL SERVE TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE FURTHER, AS THE LOW LEVEL WINDS FEED MORE WARM MOIST AIR NORTHWARD WHILE THE UPPER WINDS DRAW MORE COOL AND DRY AIR IN ALOFT. THE WIND PATTERN ALSO IS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION, AND ALL INTERESTS IN THE STATE ARE URGED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. REVIEW TORNADO AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SAFETY RULES, AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. SPOTTER NETWORKS SHOULD ALREADY BE ACTIVATED AT THIS TIME OVER M7OST OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA. THOSE IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED BY LATE AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, May 14, 3:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 3PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA FROM 215PM CDT UNTIL 9PM CDT TONIGHT... SOME OF THE COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE ARCHER..BAYLOR.. CLAY..FOARD..HARDEMAN..JACK..KNOX..MONTAGUE..WICHITA..WILBARGER..AND YOUNG IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND COTTON COUNTY OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. AT 255PM CDT A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS IN NORTHERN KENT AND SOUTHERN DICKENS COUNTY NEAR GIRARD. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA FROM NORTH OF ELDORADO TO WEST AND EAST OF HOLBART. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. REMEMBER... A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, May 14, 3:34 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 330PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUDING COUNTIES UNTIL 9PM... AT 325 PM CDT A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTH OF GUTHRIE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. AT THIS CURRENT MOVEMENT... THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF KNOX COUNTY NEAR TRUSCOTT DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM AND RESIDENTS IN KNOX COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 11:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche | 102 min |
| May 14, 12:16 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady | 84 min |
| May 14, 3:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian, Kingfisher | 40 min |
| May 14, 4:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher, Logan | 45 min |
| May 14, 9:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Washita | 40 min |
| May 14, 10:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis | 42 min |
| May 14, 10:31 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Washita | 59 min |
| May 14, 10:39 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis | 66 min |
| May 14, 11:01 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Canadian | 29 min |
| May 14, 11:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey | 56 min |
| May 14, 11:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Pottawatomie | 61 min |
| May 14, 11:27 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Oklahoma | 63 min |
| May 14, 11:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Washita | 57 min |
| May 14, 11:45 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Woodward | 60 min |
| May 14, 12:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Lincoln | 20 min |
| May 14, 12:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Logan | 62 min |
| May 14, 12:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Woods | 42 min |
| May 14, 12:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garfield, Grant | 46 min |
| May 14, 12:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey | 47 min |
| May 14, 12:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Alfalfa | 46 min |
| May 14, 1:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian | 39 min |
| May 14, 1:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kiowa, Washita | 40 min |
| May 14, 1:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche | 51 min |
| May 14, 1:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Harmon | 59 min |
| May 14, 1:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian | 50 min |
| May 14, 2:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Logan, Oklahoma | 43 min |
| May 14, 2:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Washita | 33 min |
| May 14, 2:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady | 33 min |
| May 14, 2:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo | 26 min |
| May 14, 2:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Greer | 26 min |
| May 14, 2:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Greer, Jackson | 58 min |
| May 14, 2:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian, Logan, Oklahoma | 58 min |
| May 14, 2:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady | 58 min |
| May 14, 2:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Lincoln, Oklahoma | 45 min |
| May 14, 2:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Jackson | 36 min |
| May 14, 3:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo | 30 min |
| May 14, 3:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma | 62 min |
| May 14, 3:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Grady | 62 min |
| May 14, 3:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, McClain | 57 min |
| May 14, 3:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Washita | 45 min |
| May 14, 4:00 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Jackson, Kiowa | 30 min |
| May 14, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Custer, Washita | 50 min |
| May 14, 4:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Comanche | 42 min |
| May 14, 4:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Grady, McClain | 53 min |
| May 14, 4:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Oklahoma | 53 min |
| May 14, 4:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Seminole | 57 min |
| May 14, 5:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Caddo, Washita | 36 min |
| May 14, 5:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Comanche | 36 min |
| May 14, 5:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kiowa | 37 min |
| May 14, 5:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Comanche, Tillman | 35 min |
| May 14, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Pottawatomie | 48 min |
| May 14, 5:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Jackson, Kiowa | 37 min |
| May 14, 5:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Grady | 58 min |
| May 14, 5:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche | 53 min |
| May 14, 6:07 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Comanche, Kiowa, Tillman | 38 min |
| May 14, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, McClain | 44 min |
| May 14, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Greer, Harmon | 65 min |
| May 14, 6:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garvin, Grady, Stephens | 59 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.