Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Norman, OK

April 24, 1990Ellis County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 24, 1990, 10:58 PM CDT for Ellis County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 32 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 24, 1990, 10:58 PM CDT (03:58 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 1990, 11:30 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Ellis 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 24, 11:10 PM CDTHail 0.88Ellis, 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, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 173 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 1990-04-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1446 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 1990-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 152 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1446 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1164 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
152 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
281 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
12.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 250356
TOROKC
OKC045-250430-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
1058 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...ELLIS COUNTY
 
AT 1058 PM A TORNADO WAS INDICATED 5 MILES WEST OF GAGE MOVING
NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. TORNADO DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN
SHATTUCK WITHIN THE PAST FEW MINUTES.
 
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.  OTHERWISE...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

Special weather statement, Apr 24, 7:01 PM CDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
TXZ019-020-250115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
700 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES UNTIL
11 PM CDT...

AT 655 PM WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
LOCATED NEAR MCLEAN IN WHEELER COUNTY OF THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 20 MPH.

ELSEWHERE A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED BETWEEN ARDMORE
AND MCALESTER IN OKLAHOMA.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 7:58 PM CDT, 3 hours before
TXZ019-020-250215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
800 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES UNTIL
11 PM CDT...

ATT 755 PM RADAR SHOWED A COUPLE OF SMALL SHOWERS HAVING DEVELOPED IN
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA BETWEEN FREDERICK AND ROOSEVELT. THIS WAS THE ONLY
PRECIPITATION BEING DETECTED WITHIN 125 MILES OF WICHITA FALLS.

NO MOVEMENT HAS BEEN DETERMINED.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 8:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
TXZ019-020-250315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
900 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES UNTIL
11 PM CDT...

AT 855 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED
35 MILES WEST OF CHILDRESS. OTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED
ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE.

PRECIPITATION MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 10:00 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
TXZ019-020-250415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
1000 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES
UNTIL 11 PM CDT...

AT 955 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM 30
MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF CHILDRESS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO
LOCATED ALONG TEXAS-OKLAHOMA BORDER SOUTH OF GAGE.

PRECIPITATION MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 10:03 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
TXZ019-020-250415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
1000 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES
UNTIL 11 PM CDT...

AT 955 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED AN ISOLATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM 30
MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF CHILDRESS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ALSO
LOCATED ALONG THE TEXAS-OKLAHOMA BORDER SOUTH OF GAGE.

PRECIPITATION MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 10:49 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
TXZ019-020-250515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
1045 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES UNTIL
5 AM CDT WEDNESDAY...

AT 1040 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING
OVER WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND ACROSS THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE GENERALLY
40 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM MEMPHIS TEXAS TO NORTH OF GAGE
OKLAHOMA.

PRECIPITATIOND MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 9:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis59 min
Apr 24, 9:58 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNEllis32 min
Apr 24, 10:29 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNEllis31 min
Apr 24, 11:27 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNEllis, Harper33 min
Apr 24, 11:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWoodward42 min
Apr 24, 11:58 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNHarper32 min
Apr 25, 12:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis51 min
Apr 25, 12:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWoodward46 min
Apr 25, 12:21 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNEllis24 min
Apr 25, 12:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWoods63 min
Apr 25, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHarper36 min
Apr 25, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis54 min
Apr 25, 12:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarvin, McClain42 min
Apr 25, 12:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter43 min
Apr 25, 6:28 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNBryan3 hr
Apr 25, 6:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCotton46 min
Apr 25, 6:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNMarshall39 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.