Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Norman, OK

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
1120 AM CST MON MAR 27 1989

  ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED IN OKLAHOMA TODAY AND TONIGHT...

A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SPRING SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS SHAPING UP
FOR MOST OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA TODAY AND TONIGHT.  THE GREATEST
THREAT EXISTS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA.
HOWEVER...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
REMAINDER OF THE STATE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WESTERN TWO-THIRDS OF
THE PANHANDLE.  FOR MOST PLACES THE THREAT IS MAINLY FOR LARGE HAIL AND
STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.  BUT..THERE IS A THREAT OF SOME TORNADOES
ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA.

BY MID-MORNING A VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS
LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO.  THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF
THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OVER TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA THE PAST TWO DAYS
WHICH HAVE BROUGHT A DEEP LAYER OF WARM...HUMID AIR OVER MOST OF THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS.  A DRYLINE EXTENDS NORTH-SOUTH THROUGH THE WESTERN
TEXAS PANHANDLE...AND A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER HAS FORMED OVER
SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ALONG
THE DRYLINE THIS MORNING...AND ARE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE
EASTERN PART OF THE PANHANDLE AND EXTREME NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA.  THESE
DEVELOPING STORMS HAVE PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A TORNADO WATCH FOR
PARTS OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA FOR THE REST OF THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON.
WHILE NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS
CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER TO DEVELOP AT ANY TIME.

AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES EASTWARD TODAY...THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
WILL INCREASE OVER PORTIONS OF WEST TEXAS AND MOVE INTO OKLAHOMA.
IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE STATE TODAY.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS...WATCHES AND POSSIBLY WARNINGS AS THIS SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION DEVELOPS.

THE OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
1200 NOON CST MON MAR 27 1989

...REFER TO TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 51 VALID UNTIL 500 PM...

OTHERWISE THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHWEST
OF SAYRE TO EDMOND TO THE RED RIVER SOUTHEAST OF HUGO. THERE IS A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF OKLAHOMA
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CIMARRON AND TEXAS COUNTIES OF THE PANHANDLE.

VERY MOIST AND RELATIVELY UNSTABLE AIR REMAINS IN PLACE OVER OKLAHOMA
FOLLOWING LAST NIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS. THE DEEP MOIST LAYER HAS BEEN
PULLED NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY A STRONG UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE THAT WAS LOCATED OVER WESTERN NEW MEXICO THIS
MORNING.

AT MID MORNING A WARM FRONT STRETCHED IN AN EAST TO WEST LINE ALONG
THE RED RIVER FROM NEAR CHILDRESS TEXAS TO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA WHILE
THE DRY LINE EXTENDED FROM THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE TO NEAR
THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF NEW MEXICO. HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED
BY LATE MORNING IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE WARM FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE SLOWLY
NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...WHILE ALOFT THE ATMOSPHERE COOLS
SLIGHTLY AS THE DEEP TROUGH TO THE WEST INCHES CLOSER...THESE TWO
DEVELOPMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO RESULT IN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS
THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.
IT IS LIKELY THAT THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVE NORTHWARD INTO THIS UNSTABLE
AIR WILL INTENSIFY RAPIDLY THIS AFTERNOON.

SPOTTER NETWORKS AND ALL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES ARE URGED TO
MAINTAIN A HIGH STATE OF READINESS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PERSONS
IN OR NEAR THE TORNADO WATCH AREA...AND INDEED PERSONS IN ALL SECTIONS
OF THE STATE SHOULD KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND
WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
1225 PM CST MON MAR 27 1989

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM FOR A PORTION OF
NORTHWEST TEXAS WHICH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF HARDEMAN..FOARD..
KNOX AND WILBARGER. AT 1215 PM RADAR INDICATED THAT A LARGE AREA
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH OF THE RED RIVER IN WESTERN
OKLAHOMA.

HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN
OKLAHOMA AND ALL THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON COULD
CAUSE HEAVY RAIN..HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS AND TORNADO ACTIVITY IS
POSSIBLE.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ALSO CONTINUE IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND EXTEND
SOUTHWARD TO SOUTH OF LUBBOCK.

PERSONS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RADIO AND NEWS MEDIA TO KEEP INFORMED ON THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT
ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTH TEXAS AND
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.