Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Norman, OK

March 28, 1988Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 28, 1988, 5:51 PM CST for Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 39 min. 3 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 28, 1988, 5:51 PM CST (23:51 UTC)
Expired: Mar 28, 1988, 6:30 PM CST
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Norman, OK
Area: Whole counties

County Oklahoma 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
Mar 28, 5:52 PM CST	Hail 1.75	Oklahoma, OK
Mar 28, 6:05 PM CST	Tornado F1	Oklahoma, OK
Mar 28, 6:25 PM CST	Hail 1.25	Oklahoma, 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, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 24 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 560 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -288 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 734 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 285 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 282352
TOROKC
OKC109-290030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
551 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
          ...SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
 
AT 550 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO OVER MIDWEST CITY AND
REPORTS OF 4 INCH HAIL HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT RENO AND MIDWEST
BOULEVARD ALSO THE SHERRIF DEPARTMENT REPORTS A FUNNEL CLOUD AT SE
15TH AND I-40.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  O6THERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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

Local storm report, Mar 28, 4:39 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
437 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

 TIME CST       COUNTY             REPORT

437 PM          LOGAN              QUARTER TO HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL
       I                            REPORTED JUST SOUTH OF GUTHRIE VIA
                                   OKLAHOMA COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE RADIO
                                   NETWORK

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 4:44 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
445 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING
COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM CST...

AT 435 PM CST GTHE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM JUST SOUTH OF OKLAUNION
TO NEAR ELECTRA. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY STRONG
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG WINDS AND SOME POSSIBLE HAIL.

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 4:47 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
445 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING
COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM CST...

AT 435 PM CST THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM JUST SOUTH OF OKLAUNION
TO NEAR ELECTRA. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY STRONG
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SOME POSSIBLE HAIL.

OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOME VERY STRONG WERE LOCATED JUST
NORTH OF THE RED RIVER IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA BETWEEN DAVIDSON TO
JUST NORTHEAST OF RYAN.

ALL PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA IS HIGHLY UNSTABLE AND WITH A COLD FRONT
LOCATED TO THE WEST...THE PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER DOES
EXIST. RESIDENTS ACROSS THIS PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS ARE ADVISED
TO STAY ABREAST OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION AND BE
READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER BE SIGHTED OR
IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

STAYED TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 5:17 PM CST, 34 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
515 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING
COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM CST...

AT 510 PM CST THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED THAT THE THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY THAT NEAR ELECTRA HAD MOVED TO THE NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA.  NEW SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR LAKE KEMP AND JUST NORTH
OF SANTA ROSA LAKE IN SOUTHERN WILBARGER COUNTY.  THE NEW SHOWERS
ARE STILL JUST DEVELOPING AND WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHED.

ALL PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

THE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA IS HIGHLY UNSTABLE AND WITH A COLD FRONT
LOCATED TO THE WEST...THE PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES
TO EXIST.
RESIDENTS ACROSS THIS PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS ARE ADVISED
TO STAY ABREAST OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION AND BE
READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER BE SIGHTED OR
IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

STAYED TUNED TO N.OAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:33 PM CST, 18 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
530 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

 TIME CST       COUNTY           REPORT

439 PM          CANADIAN         CIVIL DEFENSE NETWORK REPORTED QUARTER
                                 SIZE HAIL JUST WEST OF MUSTANG
445-447 PM      GRADY            CIVIL DEFENSE NETWORK REPORTED DIME
                                  SIZE HAIL 2 MILES WEST OF MINCO AND
                                  NICKEL HAIL 2 MILES NORTH UNION CITY
447 PM          CANADIAN         CIVIL DEFENSE NETWORK REPORTED GOLFBALL
                                  HAIL 5 MILES NORTH OF UNION CITY
                                  (JUST NORTH OF THE RIVER)
459 PM          CANADIAN         CD NETWORK REPORTED QUARTER HAIL OVER
                                  MUSTANG
500 PM          CANADIAN         1 1/2 INCH HAIL AT MUSTANG
500 PM          PAYNE/LOGAN      HALF DOLLAR HAIL ON THE COUNTY LINE
                                  5 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF PERKINS

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:47 PM CST, 4 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
550 PM CST MON MAR 28 1988

 TIME CST       COUNTY         REPORT

503 PM          PAYNE          STILLWATER EOC REPORTED HALF DOLLAR HAIL
                                NEAR PERKINS
504 PM          OKLAHOMA       EDMOND CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTED DIME SIZED
                                HAIL
505 PM          OKLAHOMA       CD NETWORK REPORTED QUARTER HAIL AT 59TH
                                AND MUSTANG ROAD
506 PM          OKLAHOMA       AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORTED 60 MPH
                                WINDS AT 152ND AND MUSTANG ROAD
509 PM          OKLAHOMA       1 1/2 INCH HAIL 4 MILES EAST OF MUSTANG
510 PM          OKLAHOMA       1 INCH HAIL AT WILL ROGERS AIRPORT
520 PM          OKLAHOMA       GOLFBALL HAIL REPORTED IN SOUTHWEST
                                OKLAHOMA CITY
524 PM          OKLAHOMA       AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORTED 1 INCH
                     -           HAIL IN MIDWEST CITY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 28, 2:02 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Blaine, Kingfisher	43 min
Mar 28, 2:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Canadian	50 min
Mar 28, 2:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Kingfisher	31 min
Mar 28, 3:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Canadian	45 min
Mar 28, 3:07 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Logan	53 min
Mar 28, 3:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo	30 min
Mar 28, 3:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Kingfisher	33 min
Mar 28, 3:40 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo	65 min
Mar 28, 3:52 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Noble, Payne	53 min
Mar 28, 3:57 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Logan	48 min
Mar 28, 4:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Stephens	64 min
Mar 28, 4:25 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OUN	Canadian	35 min
Mar 28, 4:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Logan, Payne	44 min
Mar 28, 4:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OUN	Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Oklahoma	37 min
Mar 28, 5:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Kiowa, Tillman	59 min
Mar 28, 5:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady, Stephens	43 min
Mar 28, 5:36 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Grady, McClain	69 min
Mar 28, 5:36 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Oklahoma	69 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1988 Every tornado warning in 1988 Tornadoes in 1988

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.