Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1991
Tornado Warning 49, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 4, 1991, 4:25 PM CDT for Garvin County, Stephens County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 50 min. 3 reports 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
- May 4, 1991, 4:25 PM CDT (21:25 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 1991, 5:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Garvin County, OK, Stephens County, OK
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 4:30 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Stephens, OK | |
| May 4, 4:58 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Garvin, OK | |
| May 4, 5:20 PM CDT | Hail 0.88 | Garvin, 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, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 71 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
- 880 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -166 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 601 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 172 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 92 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 2.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KOKC 042127 TOROKC OKC049-137-042215- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 425 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS... IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA ...WESTERN GARVIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA ...EASTERN STEPHENS COUNTY AT 425 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR VELMA MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. A LARGE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN STEPHENS COUNTY WILL MOVE INTO GARVIN COUNTY WITH HAIL UP TO BASEBALL SIZE POSSIBLE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PAT+H 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, May 4, 12:06 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
TXZ020-019-041800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 1200 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES YOUNG AND JACK... AT NOON RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVLOPING RAPIDLY FROM NORTHEAST AND EAST OF ABILENE EXTENDING SOUTH TO SAN ANGELO. MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD NORTH ALONG THE DRY LINE SHORTLY. RESIDENTS OF YOUNG COUNTY CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO BEGIN MOVING INTO THE AREA SHORTLY AFTER 100 PM THIS AFTERNOON. . RESIDENTS ACROSS THIS PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...ESPECIA0LLY YOUNG COUNTY...SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER BE SIGHTED OR WARNING ISSUED.
Special weather statement, May 4, 12:14 PM CDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
TXZ020-019-041800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 1210 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNTIES YOUNG AND JACK... AT NOON RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVLOPING RAPIDLY FROM WEST OF YOUNG COUNTY EXTENDING SOUTH TO EAST OF ABILENE TO SAN ANGELO. MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE NORTHEAST 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD NORTH ALONG THE DRY LINE SHORTLY. RESIDENTS OF YOUNG COUNTY CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO BEGIN MOVING INTO THE AREA IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES. RESIDENTS ACROSS THIS PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...ESPECIALLY YOUNG COUNTY...SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER BE SIGHTED OR WARNING ISSUED.
Special weather statement, May 4, 1:03 PM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
OKZ004>021-051200- OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 1245 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991 THIS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK IS VALID ONLY FOR OKLAHOMA ZONES 4 THROUGH 21. A THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK FOR THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES IS AVAILABLE UNDER LBBSPSAMA...AND A THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN OKLAHOMA IS AVAILABLE UNDER OKCSPSTUL. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND TONIGHT OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM ALTUS TO CORDELL TO ALVA. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA EAST OF THE PANHANDLE LATE THROUGH TONIGHT. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS CENTERED OVER NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA LATE THIS MORNING. A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL MISSOURI INTO EASTERN KANSAS THROUGH NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA TO THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM... THEN NORTHWESTWARD INTO COLORADO. A DRYLINE EXTENDS SOUTH FROM THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ALONG THE OKLAHOMA-TEXAS BORDER INTO CENTRAL TEXAS. A NUMBER OF FACTORS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IN OKLAHOMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S COVERS MUCH OF THE STATE. THE ATMOSPHERE OVER OKLAHOMA WILL CONTINUE TO DESTABILIZE AS COOL MID LEVEL AIR IS ADVECTED OVER THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE EASTWARD ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN STATES APPROACHES OKLAHOMA AND THE DRYLINE WILL ENTER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. SURFACE HEATING WILL FURTHER DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. BOTH THE DRYLINE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL ACT AS FOCUSING MECHANISMS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERE. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF THE DRYLINE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL INCREASE ALOFT WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH..CREATING A FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE FOR TORNADO DEVELOPMENT... ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN AND NORTHCENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE STATE. AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL US TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA. A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT THIS EVENING AND PROGRESS EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE BEFORE SUNRISE ON SUNDAY. SPOTTER ORGqANIZATIONS ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON.
Local storm report, May 4, 4:21 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
415 PM CDT SAT MAY 04 1991
TIME COUNTY EVENT
115 PM JACK PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL SW OF GRAHAM
326 PM YOUNG MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED 4MI W OF LOVING
IN YOUNG COUNTY
342 PM CDT YOUNG MARBLE TO DIME SIZE HAIL BETWEEN JEAN AND
FARMER.The office that day
Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 3:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Stephens | 43 min |
| May 4, 4:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Stephens | 26 min |
| May 4, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jefferson | 45 min |
| May 4, 4:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garfield | 41 min |
| May 4, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grant | 50 min |
| May 4, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kay | 41 min |
| May 4, 5:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher, Logan | 42 min |
| May 4, 6:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cleveland, Oklahoma | 52 min |
| May 4, 6:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Lincoln, Oklahoma | 41 min |
| May 4, 6:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garfield | 50 min |
| May 4, 6:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Caddo, Canadian, Grady | 47 min |
| May 4, 6:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher | 47 min |
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.