Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 252, NWS Norman, OK

July 12, 1987Blaine County, Custer County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 12, 1987, 6:40 PM CDT for Blaine County, Custer County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 65 min. 2 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
Jul 12, 1987, 6:40 PM CDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 1987, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

Counties Blaine County, OK, Custer 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
Jul 12, 7:00 PM CDTHail 0.75Custer, OK
Jul 12, 7:30 PM CDTHail 0.75Custer, 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 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 109 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 12:00Z on 1987-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2074 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK at 12:00Z on 1987-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 191 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
2074 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-110 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
747 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
191 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
222 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 122340
SVROKC
OKC011-039-130045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
640 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
          ...BLAINE...CUSTER
 
AT 640 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR THOMAS MOVING
TOWARDS THE EAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN THOMAS AND WATONGA ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS STORM AND CAN EXPECT HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE AND STRONG
WINDS WITH THIS STORM.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AWND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Jul 12, 5:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIA KSPS 122237
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
535 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 1987
AT 520PM THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR WAS INDICATING A LINE OF VERY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST OF WICHITA FALLS.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE WAS FROM PONCA CITY TO ELK CITY IN
OKLAHOMA AND EXTENDED SOUTHWEST INTO TEXAS.
THE LEADING EDGE IN TEXAS WAS JUST NORTHWEST OF CHILDRESS TO WEST OF
LUBBOCK TEXAS.
THIS LINE IS ABOUT 60 MILES WIDE IN THE NORTHERN PART IN OKLAHOMA TO
ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE IN THE SOUTHERN TIP IN TEXAS.
MOVEMENT OF THE LINE IS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR AND
SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.
THE LOCAL FORECAST CALLS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE LOCAL AREA LATER TONIGHT.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL..HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
KEEP TUNED TO NOAA WEATHR AREA FOR LATER INFORMATION ON THESE DANGEROUS
SITUATION.
RAMIREZ
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:41 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIA KSPS 122241 COR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
535 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 1987
AT 520PM THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR WAS INDICATING A LINE OF VERY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST OF WICHITA FALLS.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE WAS FROM PONCA CITY TO ELK CITY IN
OKLAHOMA AND EXTENDED SOUTHWEST INTO TEXAS.
THE LEADING EDGE IN TEXAS WAS JUST NORTHWEST OF CHILDRESS TO WEST OF
LUBBOCK TEXAS.
THIS LINE IS ABOUT 60 MILES WIDE IN THE NORTHERN PART IN OKLAHOMA TO
ABOUT 30 MILES WIDE IN THE SOUTHERN TIP IN TEXAS.
MOVEMENT OF THE LINE IS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR AND
SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.
THE LOCAL FORECAST CALLS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE LOCAL AREA LATER TONIGHT.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL..HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
KEEP TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER INFORMATION ON THIS DANGEROUSS
SITUATION.
RAMIREZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 4:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Major50 min
Jul 12, 4:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGrant50 min
Jul 12, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNMajor19 min
Jul 12, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Custer, Dewey, Major55 min
Jul 12, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Garfield, Grant55 min
Jul 12, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Custer, Dewey, Major62 min
Jul 12, 6:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Roger Mills59 min
Jul 12, 6:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.