Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 13, 1990, 5:32 PM CST for Grant County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 43 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
- Mar 13, 1990, 5:32 PM CST (23:32 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 13, 1990, 6:15 PM CST
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
County Grant 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 | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 5:54 PM CST | Tornado F3 | Grant, 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
Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 179 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 399 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -236 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 700 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 118 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KOKC 132334 TOROKC OKC053-140015- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 532 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA ...GRANT COUNTY NUMEROUS REPORTS OF TORNADOES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL WEST OF MEDFORD. THE STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE TORNADOES WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PEOPLE IN MEDFORD SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY TO SHELTER. 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 BLANKETS...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, Mar 13, 2:05 PM CST, 3 hours 27 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, 2 hours 59 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, 2 hours 58 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 12 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 8:11 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis | 49 min |
| Mar 13, 8:27 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Harper, Woodward | 63 min |
| Mar 13, 8:49 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Woods | 41 min |
| Mar 13, 2:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche, Cotton, Tillman | 67 min |
| Mar 13, 3:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo | 45 min |
| Mar 13, 3:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Canadian, Grady | 58 min |
| Mar 13, 3:42 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche | 48 min |
| Mar 13, 3:57 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Logan, Oklahoma | 48 min |
| Mar 13, 4:00 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo | 60 min |
| Mar 13, 4:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Blaine, Garfield, Kingfisher, Major | 63 min |
| Mar 13, 4:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Comanche, Grady, McClain | 58 min |
| Mar 13, 4:43 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | McClain | 32 min |
| Mar 13, 5:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland | 54 min |
| Mar 13, 5:13 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | McClain | 32 min |
| Mar 13, 5:31 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | McClain | 29 min |
| Mar 13, 5:41 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cotton | 49 min |
| Mar 13, 5:54 PM CST | Tornado Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Pottawatomie | 36 min |
| Mar 13, 5:57 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland | 33 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.