Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 27, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 16, 1986, 8:16 PM CDT for Beckham County, Custer County, Washita County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report 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 16, 1986, 8:16 PM CDT (01:16 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 1986, 8:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 29 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Beckham County, OK, Custer County, OK, Washita 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 8:28 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Beckham, 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, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 147 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
- 2930 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 856 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 81 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 102 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.0
- Supercell composite
- 5.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAAOO KOKC 170116
TOROKC
OKC039-009-149-170145-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUSTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
816 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
..SOUTHWESTERN CUSTER
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
..NORTHEASTERN BECKHAM..NORTHWESTERN WASHITA
AT 816 PM A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF
ELK CITY BY THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL. THE TORNADO IS MOVING
TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN STAFFORD AND
BUTLER SHOULD MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IMMEDIATELY.
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 QBLANKETS, 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 16, 3:12 PM CDT, 5 hours 4 minutes before
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, May 16, 4:33 PM CDT, 3 hours 43 minutes before
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.
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:02 PM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 505 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 505 PM CDT VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE WEST OF FOARD...HARDEMAN..AND KNOX COUNTIES FROM CHILDRESS SOUTHWEST TO DICKENS. THESE STORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ELSEWHERE RAINSHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH OF WICHITA FALLS OVER PORTIONS OF YOUNG AND JACK COUNTIES. MOVEMENT OF THESE SHOWERS TO THE NORTH AT 15 MPH. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:32 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 530 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD...HARDEMAN...AND KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM CDT... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING... AT 525 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO THE WEST OF FOARD... HARDEMAN AND KNOX COUNTIES BETWEEN CHILDRESS AND DICKENS. MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH OF WICHITA FALLS OVER YOUNG...JACK...ARCHER AND CLAY COUNTIES. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. IN OKLAHOMA...SHOWERS AND THUNDER>STORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF HOBART.
Special weather statement, May 16, 6:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 555 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD...HARDEMAN...AND KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM CDT... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING... AT 550 PM CDT A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING ACROSS THE FOARD COUNTY LINE 17 MILES WEST OF CROWELL. THIS STORM COULD PRODUCE ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. THIS STORM WAS INCREASING IN INTENSITY. MOVEMENT...NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. ELSEWHERE ANOTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTH WEST OF JACKSBORO OVER THE YOUNG...JACK COUNTY LINE. THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. THIS STORM MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS AND SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS FOR TONIGHT AND RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO STAY TUNEDZ TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LASTEST ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 16, 6:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 635 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD...HARDEMAN...AND KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 11 PM CDT... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING... AT 630 PM THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOME PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN SCATTERED OVER CLAY AND MONTAGUE COUNTIES TO THE EAST OF WICHITA FALLS. HEAVIEST RAINS WERE FALLING SOUTHEAST OF WINDTHORST AND NORTHWEST OF BOWIE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED WEST OF FOARD COUNTY NEAR PADUCAH. IN OKLAHOMA...A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED TO THE NORTHWEST OF LAWTON. ALL PRECIPITATION MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Woodward | 50 min |
| May 16, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Roger Mills | 60 min |
| May 16, 7:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey | 33 min |
| May 16, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Major, Woodward | 50 min |
| May 16, 8:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey | 44 min |
| May 16, 8:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Washita | 36 min |
| May 16, 9:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, McClain | 52 min |
| May 16, 9:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche | 55 min |
| May 16, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Canadian | 55 min |
| May 16, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Oklahoma | 55 min |
| May 16, 9:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher | 55 min |
| May 16, 10:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jackson, Tillman | 59 min |
| May 16, 10:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady | 42 min |
| May 16, 10:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Logan, Oklahoma | 64 min |
| May 16, 10:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Caddo | 28 min |
| May 16, 10:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Grady | 34 min |
| May 16, 10:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian, Cleveland, Oklahoma | 45 min |
| May 16, 10:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady, McClain | 45 min |
| May 16, 10:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Tillman | 30 min |
| May 16, 11:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Cotton, Tillman | 50 min |
| May 16, 11:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Logan, Noble, Payne | 33 min |
| May 16, 11:20 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OUN | Logan, Oklahoma | 3 hr |
| May 16, 11:20 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OUN | Cleveland, McClain | 3 hr |
| May 16, 11:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma | 60 min |
| May 16, 11:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Grady, McClain | 60 min |
| May 16, 11:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Payne | 50 min |
| May 16, 11:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Stephens | 45 min |
| May 16, 11:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Garvin | 28 min |
| May 16, 11:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Pottawatomie | 48 min |
| May 17, 12:08 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OUN | Caddo, Grady | 112 min |
| May 17, 12:09 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Lincoln | 31 min |
| May 17, 12:52 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Choctaw, Pushmataha | 68 min |
| May 17, 1:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Carter, Johnston | 55 min |
| May 17, 1:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Pontotoc | 55 min |
| May 17, 1:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Atoka, Coal | 60 min |
| May 17, 1:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Hughes | 60 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.