Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 26, NWS Norman, OK

May 14, 1986Jefferson County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 14, 1986, 9:29 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 31 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 14, 1986, 9:29 PM CDT (02:29 UTC)
Expired
May 14, 1986, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson County, OK

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 14, 9:30 PM CDTHail 1.75Jefferson, OK
May 14, 9:30 PM CDTHail 1.75Jefferson, OK
May 14, 9:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Jefferson, OK
May 14, 9:48 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Jefferson, OK

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK (KOKC), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 145 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK at 00:00Z on 1986-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK at 00:00Z on 1986-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -9 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
779 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-9 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAAOO KOKC 150229
TOROKC
OKC067-150300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUSTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
929 PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
 
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
          ..NORTHERN JEFFERSON

AT 930 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 3 MILES WEST OF WAURIKA
MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN WAURIKA ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS POSSIBLE TORNADO AND SHOULD TAKE COVER.
 
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, 3:34 PM CDT, 5 hours 55 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.
Special weather statement, May 14, 9:01 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
852 PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 162 WHICH COVERED PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
UNTIL 9 PM HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 11 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA:

TILLMAN COMANCHE STEPHENS JEFFERSON COTTON AND GARVIN.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUING IN THE FORT SILL TO FREDERICK AREA
AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD OUT OF SOUTHWEST OKLAzHOMA BY 11 PM.
Local storm report, May 14, 9:29 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
KOKC 131716

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
930 PM CDT WED MAY 14 1986

REPORTS FOR TODAY WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 1986

TIME       COUNTY              EVENT

1128 AM     CANADIAN           DIME SIZE HAIL 6 MILES NORTH OF EL RENO

1115 AM     OKLAHOMA           NICKLE SIZE HAIL WARR ACRES

1135 AM     OKLAHOMA           DIME SIZE HAIL 1 BLOCK EAST OF OVERHOLSER
                               DAM AND NICKLE SIZE AT PENN SQUARE.

1140 AM     OKLAHOMA           DIME SIZE HAIL HEIFNER LAKE

1150 AM     OKLAHOMA           DIME SIZE HAIL AT EDMOND ROAD AND WESTERN
.
1150 AM     CADDO            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL JUST SOUTH OF HYDRO

1158 AM     WOODWARD         3/4 INCH HAIL AT WOODWARD

1205 PM     LOGAN            DIME SIZE HAIL 4 SOUTH OF GUTHRIE

1212 PM     LOGAN            DIME SIZE HAIL AT CRESENT

1102 AM     ELLIS            3/4 INCH HAIL BETWEEN 1102 THRU 1118

1241 PM     WOODS            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 EAST OF WAYNOKA

114 PM     CANADIAN         GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 8 WEST OF EL RENO

130 PM     WOODS            50 KT/58 MPH WINDS AT ALVA AIRPORT

150 PM     KIOWA            1/2 HAIL AT HOBART

202 PM     HARMON           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT HOLLIS

216 PM     HARMON           2 INCH HAIL AT HOLLIS

225 PM     CANADIAN         PENNY SIZE HAIL IN WESTERN MUSTANG
.
234 PM     CANADIAN            1 INCH HAIL AT MUSTANG

237 PM     LOGAN               DIME SIZE HAIL AT GUTHRIE

258 PM     OKLAHOMA            QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT BRITTON AND TRIPLE X
                               ROADS

300 PM     CADDO               DIME SIZE HAIL AT ANADARKO

305 PM     OKLAHOMA            TORNADO DESTROYED BARN AT NE 63RD AND
                               PEEBLY ROAD

309 PM     GRADY               DIME SIZE HAIL 6 SOUTH OF CHICKASHA

312 PM     OKLAHOMA            4 MILE NORTHWEST OF HARRAH TORNADO
                               OBSERVED ABOUT 1/2 MILE TO THE WEST

322 PM     JACKSON             1 AND 1/2 INCH HAIL AT ALTUS AFB

343 PM     GRADY               DIME SIZE HAIL 7 NW OF CHICKASHA

348 PM     GRADY               DIME SIZE HAIL 8 WEST OF MINCO
.
401 PM      OKLAHOMA           DIME SIZE HAIL IN OKLAHOMA CITY

407 PM      GRADY              1 INCH HAIL AT MINCO

413 PM      KIOWA              TORNADO 1 SOUTH OF SNYDER AND
                               GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN SNYDER
                               TRAILER FLIPPED, POWER LINES DOWN

428 PM      TILLMAN            TORNADO 5 SE OF SNYDER

430 PM      WASHITA            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN CORDELL

454 PM      CLEVELAND          NICKLE HAIL NW ANS SW OF NORMAN

458 PM      CLEVELAND          60 MPH WIND, TREE DAMAGE N OF LAKE
                               THUNDERBIRD

510 PM      JACKSON            2 N OF HWY 62 ON HWY 54 100 YARD WIDE
                               TORNADO TRACK SNAPPED UTILITY POLES

523 PM      CLEVELAND          60 MPH WINDS AND 1 INCH HAIL IN NORMAN
527 PM      COMANCHE           FUNNEL CLOUD 1/8 MILE NW OF FORT SILL

550 PM      COMANCHE           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL NEAR FLETCHER

609 PM      TILLMAN/KIOWA      GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND LARGER 14 MILES
                               E OF ALTUS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 7:00 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNGarvin30 min
May 14, 7:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGreer, Harmon, Jackson65 min
May 14, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarvin, Murray, Pontotoc57 min
May 14, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter57 min
May 14, 7:31 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNJohnston, Murray, Pontotoc39 min
May 14, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo, Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa65 min
May 14, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHarmon65 min
May 14, 8:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNTillman53 min
May 14, 8:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCoal, Johnston59 min
May 14, 8:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche59 min
May 14, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCotton, Tillman55 min
May 14, 9:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Grady65 min
May 14, 9:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCotton65 min
May 14, 9:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCotton55 min
May 14, 9:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNStephens47 min
May 14, 9:50 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNLincoln, Logan2 hr
May 14, 10:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJefferson29 min
May 14, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLove47 min
May 14, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJohnston47 min
May 14, 11:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBryan, Johnston, Marshall61 min
May 14, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka42 min
May 14, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLove42 min
May 14, 11:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan60 min
May 15, 12:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNChoctaw41 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.