Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Norman, OK

March 13, 1990Cotton County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 5:41 PM CST for Cotton County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 49 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1990, 5:41 PM CST (23:41 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 6:30 PM CST
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Cotton County, OK

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Sill, OK (KFSI), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 40 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, Fort Sill, OK at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 120 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Fort Sill, OK at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 396 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 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
120 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-247 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
396 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
367 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 132342
SVROKC
OKC033-140030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
541 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CST
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...COTTON COUNTY
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DEVOL AND NEAR RANDLETT MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. QUARTER-SIZED HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THESE
STORMS IN NORTH TEXAS.
 
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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, Mar 13, 2:05 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
200 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

AT 155 PM CST THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDER
STORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER WESTERN WICHITA AND CENTRAL WILBARGER
COUNTIES.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED SOUTH OF ELECTRA AND TO THE SOUTH
WEST OF OKLAUNION. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING RAPIDLY. THESE STORMS
ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONGh
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 2:33 PM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
OKZALL-132200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
230 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH CENTRAL AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA UNTIL 9 PM...

AT 230 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
NEAR FREDERICK AND WEST OF WALTERS. THESE STORMS DEVELOPED EXPLOSIVELY
DURING THE PAST 30 MINUTES AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE
AND THE POTENTIAL EXIST FOR THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THROUGH THE EVENING. THE WIND STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS ALSO
FAVORABLE FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT WITH A FEW OF THE SEVERE STORMS.

PERSONS OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND
BE ALERT FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS FROM THE NATINAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 2:34 PM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes before
TXZ019-20-132130-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
225 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES UNTIL 9PM
CST THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AT 220 PM CST THUNDERSTORMS WERE RADIDLY DEVELOPING AND INCREASING IN
INTENSITY ACROSS WESTERN WICHITA AND WILBARGER COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE WEST OF BURKBURNETT AND NEAR VERNON. MOVEMENT WAS
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES TO
DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. DAMAGING WIND..LARGE HAIL..VERY
HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER THUNDER-
STORMS.

BE ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED.
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:20 PM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
TXZ019-20-132230-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
320 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR WICHITA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES UNTIL 9PM
CST THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AT 320 PM CST A THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED SOUTHWEST OF LAKE KICKAPOO...
NEAR MEGARGEL. THIS STORM WAS BUILDING RAPIDLY AND MAY CONTAIN SOME HAIL
STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 35
MILES AN HOUR.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE WERE IN OKLAHOMA SOUTH OF LAWTON AND
NORTHEAST OF FREDERICK. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES TO
DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. DAMAGING WIND..LARGE HAIL..VERY
HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER THUNDER-
STORMS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 8:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis49 min
Mar 13, 8:27 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHarper, Woodward63 min
Mar 13, 8:49 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWoods41 min
Mar 13, 2:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Cotton, Tillman67 min
Mar 13, 3:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo45 min
Mar 13, 3:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCanadian, Grady58 min
Mar 13, 3:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche48 min
Mar 13, 3:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLogan, Oklahoma48 min
Mar 13, 4:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo60 min
Mar 13, 4:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Garfield, Kingfisher, Major63 min
Mar 13, 4:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Grady, McClain58 min
Mar 13, 4:43 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNMcClain32 min
Mar 13, 5:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCleveland54 min
Mar 13, 5:13 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNMcClain32 min
Mar 13, 5:31 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNMcClain29 min
Mar 13, 5:32 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNGrant43 min
Mar 13, 5:54 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNCleveland, Pottawatomie36 min
Mar 13, 5:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCleveland33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.