Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Norman, OK

April 12, 1991Kingfisher County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 12, 1991, 7:07 PM CDT for Kingfisher County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 53 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 12, 1991, 7:07 PM CDT (00:07 UTC)
Expired
Apr 12, 1991, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Kingfisher County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 12, 7:13 PM CDTTornado F1Kingfisher, 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 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1991-04-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2981 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1991-04-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 142 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
2981 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
793 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
198 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.6
Supercell composite
12.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 130007
TOROKC
OKC073-047-130100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
707 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
 
   ...NORTHEASTERN KINGFISHER COUNTY
 
IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...EASTERN GARFIELD COUNTY
 
AT 707 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 6 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF
HENNESSEY MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. SPOTTERS REPORT
ROTATION IN THIS AREA DURING THE PAST FEW MINUTES.
 
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

Local storm report, Apr 12, 5:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
506 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY          REPORT

445 PM       ALFALFA         ONE INCH DIAMTER HAIL AT GOLTRY.
Local storm report, Apr 12, 5:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
519 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY          REPORT

518 PM       KINGFISHER      TORNADO 5 SOUTH OF KINGFISHER AND TWO INCH
                             HAIL 1 SOUTH OF KINGFISHER...FROM COUNTY
                             CIVIL DEFENSE.
Local storm report, Apr 12, 5:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
557 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY          REPORT

552 PM       CARTER          GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL JUST SOUTH OF LONE

                     GROVE...FROM THE CARTER COUNTY CIVIL
                             DEFENSE.
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 5:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
TXZ020-019-122350-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
550 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES HARDEMAN...FOARD...KNOX...WILBARGER...BAYLOR...
WICHITA AND COTTON COUNTY OF OKLAHOMA...

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES CLAY...MONTAGUE...JACK...ARCHER AND YOUNG...

ISOLATED RAINSHOWERS HAVE OCCURRED IN THE LAST HOUR OVER PORTIONS OF
JACK...YOUNG...AND BAYLOR COUNTIES.

SOUTH OF THE RED RIVER...AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES TO
AFFECT PORTIONS OF HOOD AND SUMERWELL COUNTIES NEAR GLEN ROSE.
A TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED ON THE GROUND FROM THIS STORM. MOVEMENT
OF THE THUNDERSTORM WAS SLOWLY TOWARDS THE EAST.

ELSEWHERE...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING SOUTHWEST OF
ARDMORE OKLAHOMA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THE SYNOPTIC SITUATION CONTINUES TO IMPLY A HIGH PROBABILITY OF
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT IN THIS SECTION OF NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE
NEXT 12 HOURS.
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 6:53 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
TXZ020-019-130050-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
650 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES HARDEMAN...FOARD...KNOX...WILBARGER...BAYLOR...
WICHITA AND COTTON COUNTY OF OKLAHOMA...

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES CLAY...MONTAGUE...JACK...ARCHER AND YOUNG...

AT 650 PM RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING IN SOUTHERN
CLAY COUNTY SOUTH OF BUFFALO SPRINGS. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

ELSEWHERE..SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN PROGRESS SOUTH OF FORT WORTH
IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND IN OKLAHOMA SOUTHEAST OF GAGE. THUNDERSHOWERS
WERE ALSO AROUND THE ARDMORE VICINITY.

MOVEMENT OF SEVERE STORM SOUTH OF FORT WORTH TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH.
THE ARDMORE THUNDERSHOWERS AND NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORMS WAS TOA
THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE SYNOPTIC SITUATION CONTINUES TO IMPLY A HIGH PROBABILITY OF
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT IN THIS SECTION OF NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE
NEXT 12 HOURS.
Local storm report, Apr 12, 7:03 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
702 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY          REPORT

700 PM       KINGFISHER      HAIL UP TO GOLF BALL SIZE 14 MILES EAST
                             OF HENNESSEY...FROM COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 12, 9:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield40 min
Apr 12, 9:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Major48 min
Apr 12, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGrant48 min
Apr 12, 10:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGrant62 min
Apr 12, 11:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNMajor, Woods, Woodward55 min
Apr 12, 11:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Dewey, Major, Woods65 min
Apr 13, 12:06 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNWoods39 min
Apr 13, 12:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCuster, Washita45 min
Apr 13, 12:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Blaine, Dewey, Major, Woods65 min
Apr 13, 12:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCuster65 min
Apr 13, 1:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Major47 min
Apr 13, 1:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Kingfisher47 min
Apr 13, 1:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield, Grant65 min
Apr 13, 3:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKay60 min
Apr 13, 8:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNChoctaw, Pushmataha42 min
Apr 13, 8:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNPushmataha63 min
Apr 13, 11:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNPushmataha45 min
Apr 13, 12:15 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNChoctaw, Pushmataha3 hr
Apr 13, 3:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNChoctaw, Pushmataha3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.