Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 11, 1992Pittsburg County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 11, 1992, 4:23 PM CDT for Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 67 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 11, 1992, 4:23 PM CDT (21:23 UTC)
Expired: May 11, 1992, 5:30 PM CDT
In force: 67 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties

County Pittsburg County, OK

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where
May 11, 4:45 PM CDT	Tornado F1	Pittsburg, OK
May 11, 5:00 PM CDT	Tornado F1	Pittsburg, OK
May 11, 5:30 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Pittsburg, 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 154 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 736 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -129 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 112124
TORTUL
OKC121-112230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
423 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...SOUTHERN PITTSBURG COUNTY
 
AT 4 23 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 13 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF KIOWA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. KIOWA IS IN THE PATH
OF THIS STORM.
 
 
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANdGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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 11, 11:03 AM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before

OKZ030-111700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1104 AM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN CREEK COUNTY...

AT 1100 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DEPEW IN
WESTERN CREEK COUNTY.  THIS STORM PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AT DEPEW.
THE STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL BE
APPROACHING THE BRISTOW AND SAPULPA COMMUNITIES BEFORE NOON.  PEOPLE
IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE
MEDIA IN CASE THIS STORM INTENSIFIES.

Special weather statement, May 11, 11:48 AM CDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before

OKZ029-111745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1148 AM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

...HEAVY RAINS MOVING INTO THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA...

THE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS CREEK COUNTWILL BE ENTERING THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA.  THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS
HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL NEAR DEPEW AND NEABRISTOW.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE TULSA AREA WHO ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE DURING THE NOOHOUR SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.

Special weather statement, May 11, 12:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before

OKZ029-111745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1148 AM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

...HEAVY RAINS MOVING INTO THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA...

THE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS CREEK
COUNTY WILL BE ENTERING THE TULSA METRO AREA.  THE CLUSTER OF STORMS
HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL NEAR DEPEW AND
BRISTOW.  THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE TULSA AREA WHO ARE PLANNING TO BE OUTSIDE DURING THE
NOON HOUR SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.

Local storm report, May 11, 12:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1253 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY         REPORT

230-250 AM   TULSA AND      A WEAK (F0) TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR
             WAGONER        113TH ST SOUTH MIDWAY BETWEEN LYNN LANE
                            AND COUNTY LINE ROAD IN TULSA COUNTY ABOUT
                            230 AM. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AS WELL
                            AS 5 POWER POLES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
                            111TH AND COUNTY LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO
                            MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY LINE
                            ROAD AT ABOUT 97 ST. MANY HOMES SUSTAINED
                            SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...WITH THE DAMAGE PATH
                            ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. A SMALL MOBILE HOME WAS
                            OVERTURNED NEAR 91ST AND JUST EAST OF COUNTY
                            LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
                            WAGONER COUNTY AND PRODUCED STRUCTURAL
                            DAMAGE TO A GAS EQUIPMENT PLANT NEAR 81ST
                            AND SH51. AN OUTSIDE WALL WAS PUSHED 18 INCHES
                            I4NTO THE BUILDING. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE
                            TORNADOES PATH WAS ABOUTH 3 1/2 MILES LONG.

Special weather statement, May 11, 1:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before

OKZ026>034-040-121200-
EASTERN OKLAHOMA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
140 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM THE KANSAS BORDER
NORTH OF BARTLESVILLE TO TULSA TO MUSKOGEE TO THE ARKANSAS LINE AT
FORT SMITH.  THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

THE MORNING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ESTABLISHED A BOUNDARY FROM JUST SOUTH
OF FORT SMITH TO JUST SOUTH OF MCALESTER TO BETWEEN ARDMORE AND OKLAHOMA
CITY.  IN ADDITION A DRY LINE WAS ADVANCING INTO WESTERN OKLHAOMA.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW RAPIDLY DEVELOPING NORTHWEST OF OKLAHOMA CITY
NEAR WHERE THE THUNDERSTORM BOUNDARY MEETS THE ADVANCING DRY LINE.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE AND WILL
DEVELOP EASTWARD ALONG THE BOUNDARY INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.  OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD SOON DEVELOP ALONG THE DRY LINE FROM NEAR MEDICINE
LODGE KANSAS SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA.  THESE STORMS TOO WILL QUICKLY
BECOME SEVERE.

THE ATMOSPHERE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE THUNDERSTORM BOUNDARY HAS BECOME
EXTREMELY UNSTABLE WITH A FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE.  TORNADOES WILL BE
DEFINITE THREAT WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY TRACK ALONG THE BOUNDARY
INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS WILL
ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS.

THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE IN NORTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS MODERATELY
UNSTABLE AND MAY DESTABILIZE FURTHER THIS AFTERNOON AS THE CLOUDS AHEAD OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE BREAKING UP AND ALLOWING SOME SUNSHINE.  THE WIND
PROFILE ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA IS ALSO FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
TORNADOES WILL BE A POSSIBILITY IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA OVER NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AS THE STORMS THAT FORM NEAR THE DRY LINE MOVE EASTWARD.

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA REMAINS RAIN-COOLED AND STABLE AT EARLY
AFTERNOON.  THE PARTIAL CLEARING NOW OCCURRING AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE MAY
WORK INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO
DESTABILIZE.  THIS...ALONG WITH THE FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE MAY RESULT IN ONE
OR TWO OF THE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING SEVERE TONIGHT AS THEY TRACK INTO
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA.

THE UPPER-AIR SYSTEM THAT WAS OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST KANSAS AT EARLY
AFTERNOON WAS SUPPORTING THE RAPID STORM DEVELOPMENT.  THIS SYSTEM
SHOULD BE EAST OF OKLAHOMA BY AROUND 1AM AND SHOULD DIMINISH THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT AT THAT TIME.

SPOTTERS IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA SHOULD BEGIN TO ACTIVATE NOW AS TORNADO
WATCHES ARE BEING POSTED.  SPOTTERS IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA SHOULD
BE READY FOR ACTIVATION THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

Local storm report, May 11, 2:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before

STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
223 PM CDT MON MAY 11 1992

TIME(CDT)    COUNTY         REPORT

230-250 AM   TULSA AND      A WEAK (F0) TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR
             WAGONER        113TH ST SOUTH MIDWAY BETWEEN LYNN LANE
                            AND COUNTY LINE ROAD IN TULSA COUNTY ABOUT
                            230 AM. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED AS WELL
                            AS 5 POWER POLES NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF
                            101ST AND COUNTY LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO
                            MOVED NORTHEAST AND CROSSED COUNTY LINE
                            ROAD AT ABOUT 97 ST. MANY HOMES SUSTAINED
                            SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...WITH THE DAMAGE PATH
                            ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. A SMALL MOBILE HOME WAS
                            OVERTURNED NEAR 91ST AND JUST EAST OF COUNTY
                            LINE ROAD. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO
                            WAGONER COUNTY AND PRODUCED STRUCTURAL
                            DAMAGE TO A GAS EQUIPMENT PLANT NEAR 81ST
                            AND SH51. AN OUTSIDE WALL WAS PUSHED 18 INCHES
              $              INTO THE BUILDING. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF THE
                            TORNADOES PATH WAS ABOUTH 3 1/2 MILES LONG.

  ...THE POWER POLES WERE DOWN AT 101ST AND COUNTY LINE ROAD...

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 11, 2:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Muskogee	48 min
May 11, 3:30 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee	30 min
May 11, 3:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair, Delaware	27 min
May 11, 3:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	44 min
May 11, 3:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Pittsburg	38 min
May 11, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	45 min
May 11, 5:31 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	McIntosh, Pittsburg	4 hr
May 11, 5:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore, Sequoyah	59 min
May 11, 5:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Latimer	42 min
May 11, 5:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage	63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1992 Every tornado warning in 1992 Tornadoes in 1992

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.