Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Norman, OK

April 9, 1990Cotton County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 9, 1990, 10:26 PM CDT for Cotton County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 49 min. 1 report 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
Apr 9, 1990, 10:26 PM CDT (03:26 UTC)
Expired
Apr 9, 1990, 11:15 PM CDT
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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 9, 10:45 PM CDTHail 1Cotton, 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

Fort Sill, OK (KFSI), launched 00:00Z, 3.4 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 00:00Z on 1990-04-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 872 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 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 00:00Z on 1990-04-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 140 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
872 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-143 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
692 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
187 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 100328
TOROKC
OKC033-100415-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
1026 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...NORTHERN COTTON COUNTY
 
AT 1026 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 13 MILES WEST OF
WALTERS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
 
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 BLANRKETS...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, Apr 9, 4:42 PM CDT, 5 hours 44 minutes before
TXZALL-092245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
442 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS MONDAY EVENING FOR
A LARGE PORTION OF NORTHWESTERN TEXAS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN AND
SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...

AT 430 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY FORMING
ACROSS THE AREA. IN OKLAHOMA THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR
DUNCAN. IN TEXAS THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING FROM SOUTHWEST OF
WICHITA FALLS TO ABILENE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ENTERING
SOUTHERN ARCHER COUNTY AND SHOULD MOVE SOUTHEAST OF ARCHER CITY.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND NEAR THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 5:34 PM CDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before
TXZALL-092330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
534 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING FOR THIS PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN
OKLAHOMA...

AT 530 CDT RADAR INDICATED A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS..DECREASING IN
INTENSITY..ACROSS YOUNG AND SOUTHERN ARCHER COUNTIES. IN OKLAHOMA VERY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE WELL NORTHEAST OF WIICHITA FALLS FROM ALEX
TO PURCELL. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND NEAR THE WATCH
AREA. BE ALERT TO THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIO@NS AND LISTEN FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 6:27 PM CDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
TXZALL-100030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
628 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...

AT 625 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS IN YOUNG AND JACK
COUNTIES. VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH OF ABILENE AND BETWEEN
LUBBOCK AND CHILDRESS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. IN OKLAHOMA
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH AND EAST OF GAGE MOVING EAST AT 30
MPH.

REMEMBER..A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN AND CLOSE TO THE
WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Apr 9, 7:11 PM CDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
710 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY           EVENT

555 PM       WOODS            NICKEL SIZED HAIL ON THE WEST SIDE OF ALVA.
620 PM       HARPER           ROTATING WALL CLOUD 4 TO 5 MILES NORTH OF
                              FORT SUPPLY.
625 PM       HARPER           NICKEL SIZED HAIL 18 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
                              BUFFALO.
645 PM       WOODS            QUARTER SIZED HAIL AT WAYNOKA.
650 PM       ALFALFA          .75 INCH HAIL 1/4 MILE EAST OF THE ALFALFA
                              COUNTY-WOODS COUNTY LINE ON HIGHWAY 64.
705 PM       ALFALFA          GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL NORTH AND WEST OF
                              CHEROKEE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 9, 7:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa44 min
Apr 9, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield, Grant60 min
Apr 9, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNTillman60 min
Apr 9, 8:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield60 min
Apr 9, 8:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGreer, Kiowa64 min
Apr 9, 9:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJackson68 min
Apr 9, 9:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNTillman65 min
Apr 9, 9:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Cotton66 min
Apr 9, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJefferson62 min
Apr 9, 10:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield, Kingfisher, Logan, Noble68 min
Apr 9, 10:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNPayne68 min
Apr 9, 10:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Dewey68 min
Apr 9, 10:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNStephens48 min
Apr 9, 11:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Love55 min
Apr 9, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKingfisher, Logan45 min
Apr 9, 11:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Love63 min
Apr 10, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLincoln, Payne53 min
Apr 10, 12:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter48 min
Apr 10, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJohnston, Marshall66 min
Apr 10, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Love60 min
Apr 10, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.