Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 22, 1987, 7:55 PM CST for Harper County, Woods County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 min. 5 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
- Mar 22, 1987, 7:55 PM CST (01:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 22, 1987, 8:40 PM CST
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Harper County, OK, Woods 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 7:55 PM CST | Hail 1 | Harper, OK | |
| Mar 22, 8:00 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 60 | Harper, OK | |
| Mar 22, 8:00 PM CST | Hail 1 | Woods, OK | |
| Mar 22, 8:00 PM CST | Hail 1 | Harper, OK | |
| Mar 22, 8:25 PM CST | Hail 1 | Woods, 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
Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 124 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
- 603 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -21 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1151 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 144 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 4.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KOKC 230155
TOROKC
OKC059-151-230240-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
755 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 840 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
...EASTERN HARPER...NORTHWESTERN WOODS
AT 755 PM A TORNADO WAS INDICATED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLAINVIEW
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR. PERSONS IN LOVEDALE
AND PLAINVIEW SHOULD SEEK SHELTER 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 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, Mar 22, 5:09 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
CORRECTED RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 450 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 AT 430 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWER WAS LOCATED OVER THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES AND INTO KANSAS. THE LINE EXTENDED THROUGH BEAVER COUNTY IN OKLAHOMA. LINE MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 10 MILES AN HOUR WHILE CELL MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 5:37 PM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 535 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 AT 530 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSHOWERS WAS LOCATED FROM THE TEXAS INTO BEAVER COUNTY IN THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND EXTENDS NORTH TO DODGE CITY KANSAS. LINE MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR WHILE CELL MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 6:30 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 630 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES..ARCHER..BAYLOR..FOARD..HARDEMAN..KNOX.. WICHITA..WILBARGER AND YOUNG. ISOLATED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTOMS WERE NOTED ALONG THE OKLAHOMA/TEXAS BORDER FROM WEST OF GAGE OKLAHOMA TO JUST NORTH OF CHILDRESS TEXAS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. O-THER ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILD INTO THE SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS EAST OF LUBBUCK.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 6:32 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 630 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 AT 625 PM...A LINE OF SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS THE EASTER%N OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN OKLAHOMA BORDER. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 7:30 PM CST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 730 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 2AM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES..ARCHER..BAYLOR..CLAY..FOARD..HARDEMAN.. KNOX..WICHITA..WILBARGER AND YOUNG. AN ISOLATED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTOM WAS IN PROGESS NEAR PADUCAH TEXAS AND NORTH OF CHILDRESS ALONG THE TEXAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER NEAR HOLLIS OKLAHOMA. ANOTHER CLUSTEVR OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER WAS NOTED IN THE GAGE OKLAHOMA VICINITY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 7:33 PM CST, 22 minutes before
RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 735 PM CST SUN MAR 22 1987 AT 725 PM...AN AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN THE EASTERN PORTIONo OF THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE. THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE NEAR ERICK IN BECKHAM COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 6:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis | 45 min |
| Mar 22, 6:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | Ellis | 30 min |
| Mar 22, 6:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | Harper | 37 min |
| Mar 22, 6:57 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | Ellis | 33 min |
| Mar 22, 7:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Roger Mills | 37 min |
| Mar 22, 8:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Roger Mills | 36 min |
| Mar 22, 8:43 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | Roger Mills | 32 min |
| Mar 22, 8:47 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey | 43 min |
| Mar 22, 8:57 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis, Harper | 48 min |
| Mar 22, 9:20 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Roger Mills | 25 min |
| Mar 22, 9:42 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Roger Mills | 48 min |
| Mar 22, 10:42 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham | 48 min |
| Mar 22, 10:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Dewey, Woodward | 45 min |
| Mar 22, 11:42 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jackson | 48 min |
| Mar 23, 12:29 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jackson | 46 min |
| Mar 23, 12:35 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Greer, Kiowa | 40 min |
| Mar 23, 5:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Payne | 28 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes 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.