Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Norman, OK

March 21, 1991Pushmataha County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 21, 1991, 6:15 PM CST for Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 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 21, 1991, 6:15 PM CST (00:15 UTC)
Expired
Mar 21, 1991, 7:00 PM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Pushmataha County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 21, 6:15 PM CSTHail 0.75Pushmataha, 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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 205 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 1991-03-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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 1991-03-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -66 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-155 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1767 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
88 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 220017
TOROKC
OKC127-220100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
615 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM CST
FOR THE FOLLOWING OKLAHOMA LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...PUSHMATAHA COUNTY
 
AT 615 PM A TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY DOPPLER RADAR NEAR DUNBAR MOVING
EAST AT 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN DUNBAR...STANLEY..AND CLAYTON ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS STORM AND SHOULD TAKE SHELTER NOW.
 
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 oINTERIOR 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, Mar 21, 3:39 PM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes before
LATE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
3:40 PM CST THU MAR 22 1991

1:44 PM CST DIME SIZE HAIL- OKLAUNION (WILBARGER CO.)

1:50 PM CST 1 INCH HAIL- SCOTLAND (ARCHER CO)

2:02 PM CST DIME SIZE HAIL- IOWA PARK (WICHITA CO)

2:03 PM CST DIME SIZE HAIL- 6 S. HENRIETTA (CLAY CO)

2:08 PM CST GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL- HORSESHOE BEND (S. WICHITA CO)

2:08 PM CST DIME SIZE HAIL- JUST S OF HENRIETTA (CLAY CO)

2:12 PM CST QUARTER SIZEz HAIL- HENRIETTA (CLAY CO)

2:14 PM CST DIME SIZE HAIL- JUST S OF LAKE WICHITA (ARCHER CO)
2:35 PM CST GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL- JUST S OF LAKE WICHITA (ARCHER CO)
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 4:01 PM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes before
TXZ020-019-212300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
400 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FOR THIS PORTION OF
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. A TORNADO WATCH FOR
CLAY...JACK...MONTAGUE AND YOUNG COUNTIES WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL
9PM CST THIS THURSDAY EVENING.

AT 400 PM...THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS
OVER PORTIONS OF YOUNG AND JACK COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT
40 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS THAT AFFECTED PORTIONS OF CLAY AND MONTAGUE
COUNTIES EARLIER HAVE MOVED INTO OKLAHOMA.

HOWEVER...PERSONS IN CLAY AND MONTAGUE COUNTIES SHOULD EXPECT
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THE NEXT HOUR. BRIEF PERIODS
OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY SURFACE WIND AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL
SHOULD BE EXPECTED. SCOTLAND IN EASTERN ARCHER COUNTY REPORTED
.62 HUNDREDS WITH SIGNIFICANT HAIL EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 4:32 PM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
TXZ020-019-212330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
430 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FOR THIS PORTION OF
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. A TORNADO WATCH FOR
CLAY...JACK...MONTAGUE AND YOUNG COUNTIES WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL
9PM CST THIS THURSDAY EVENING.

AT 430 PM...THE WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS IN PROGRESS
PRODUCING LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WIND AND POSSIBLE SMALL
HAIL OVER PORTIONS OF CLAY AND MONTAGUE COUNTIES. THE HEAVIEST PORTION
WAS LOCATED ALONG THE CLAY/MONTAGUE BORDER JUST SOUTH OF THE RED RIVER.

ELSEWHERE...ANOTHER DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM WAS NOTED NEAR OLNEY
ALONG THE YOUNG/ARCHER COUNTY LINE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40
MPH.

TODAYS HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 82 DEGREES.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 5:03 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
TXZ020-019-220000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
500 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FOR THIS PORTION OF
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. A TORNADO WATCH FOR
CLAY...JACK...MONTAGUE AND YOUNG COUNTIES WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL
9PM CST THIS THURSDAY EVENING.

AT 500 PM...THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS OCCURRING IN NORTHERN
MONTAGUE COUNTY. PERSONS ALLONG AND NORTH OF US82 IN MONTAGUE COUNTY...
INCLUDING THE COMMUNITIES OF SAINT JO AND NACONA SHOULD EXPECT VERY
HEAVY THUNDERSTORM TYPE WEATHER IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.

ELSEWHERE...ANOTHER HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING ALONG THE ARCHER/
CLAY COUNTY LINE EAST OF ARCHER CITY. MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. ONLY A SCATTERING OF LIGHTER THUNDERSHOWERS
WERE NOTED BETWEEN ABILINE...YOUNG AND JACK COUNTIES.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 5:28 PM CST, 47 minutes before
TXZ020-019-220025-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
525 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST FOR THIS PORTION OF
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. A TORNADO WATCH FOR
CLAY...JACK...MONTAGUE AND YOUNG COUNTIES WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL
9PM CST THIS THURSDAY EVENING.

AT 530 PM...THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING BETWEEN ARDMORE
OKLAHOMA AND THE RED RIVER. MOVEMENT OF THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS EAST
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

ELSEWHERE...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WERE NOTED ALONG AND SOUTHEAST
OF A HENRIETTA...ARCHER CITY...OLNEY LINE. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE
NORTHEAST. PERSONS IN MONTAGUE...CLAY AND ARCHER COUNTIES SHOULD
EXPECT PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
Special weather statement, Mar 21, 6:01 PM CST, 14 minutes before
TXZ020-019-220100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
600 PM CST THU MAR 21 1991

TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST FOR THE FOLLOWING
NORTH TEXAS COUNTIES...ARCHER...CLAY...JACK...KNOX...MONTAGUE...
WICHITA...WILBARBER AND YOUNG. THIS INCLUDES COTTON COUNTY OF
SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.

AT 6PM...THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THIS PORTION OF NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS WAS LOCATED IN CLAY COUNTY BETWEEN HENRIETTA AND THE RED RIVER.

LIGHTER THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER PORTIONS OF MONTAGUE AND
ARCHER COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

A LINE OF INTENSIFING THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED FROM WEST OF DECATUR
IN WISE COUNTY INTO PORTIONS OF PALO PINTO AND ERATH COUNTIES.

PERSONS IN NORTHEAST CLAY COUNTY SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORM
TYPE WEATHER IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 21, 6:00 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNBryan45 min
Mar 21, 6:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJefferson, Love42 min
Mar 21, 6:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Johnston, Love, Marshall56 min
Mar 21, 6:41 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan49 min
Mar 21, 6:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNPushmataha62 min
Mar 21, 7:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBryan68 min
Mar 21, 7:10 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNBryan35 min
Mar 21, 7:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJohnston, Marshall60 min
Mar 21, 7:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLove60 min
Mar 21, 7:39 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNMarshall36 min
Mar 21, 7:52 PM CSTTornado WarningOUNBryan23 min
Mar 21, 8:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Pushmataha55 min
Mar 21, 8:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNChoctaw64 min
Mar 21, 8:41 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJefferson64 min
Mar 21, 9:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter65 min
Mar 21, 9:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLove47 min
Mar 21, 10:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Johnston, Marshall45 min
Mar 21, 11:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCoal, Hughes, Pontotoc59 min
Mar 21, 11:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan, Johnston65 min
Mar 22, 1:37 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJefferson, Love53 min
Mar 22, 1:44 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNMarshall61 min
Mar 22, 1:49 AM CSTTornado WarningOUNMarshall26 min
Mar 22, 2:16 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan, Johnston59 min
Mar 22, 3:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka45 min
Mar 22, 6:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNChoctaw, Pushmataha69 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.