Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Amarillo, TX

May 5, 1993Texas County, Oklahoma

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1993, 6:31 PM CDT for Texas County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 29 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 5, 1993, 6:31 PM CDT (23:31 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 1993, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Texas County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 5, 6:38 PM CDTTornado F3- 4.5, OK
May 5, 6:55 PM CDTTornado F0Hardesty, OK
May 5, 7:10 PM CDTTornado F12 N Guymon, 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

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 170 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 1993-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1144 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 1993-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -36 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1144 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-205 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1722 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-13 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 KAMA 052332
TORAMA
OKC139-060000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
631 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM CDT
FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE
 
   ...SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS COUNTY
 
AT 630 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE DEVELOPING TORNADO
ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF GUYMON. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTH
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. DO NOT RUN OUTSIDE TO FIND THE
TORNADO...SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND
IF AVAILABLE. OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID
WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR REINFORCED BUILDINGS.

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 5, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ001>009-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>003-061200-

TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
100 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE EASTERN THREE-FOURTHS OF THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS EAST OF A LINE FROM
BOISE CITY OKLAHOMA...TO DALHART TEXAS...TO VEGA TEXAS (JUST WEST OF
AMARILLO)...TO HEREFORD TEXAS.

AROUND NOON...STRONG SOUTH WINDS CONTINUED OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE
PANHANDLES...WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO INTO WESTERN PARTS OF THE PANHANDLES. THIS HAD
CAUSED THE DRYLINE TO MOVE OFF THE NEW MEXICO STATE LINE...WITH THE
DRYLINE EXTENDING ROUGHLY FROM EXTREME EASTERN CIMARRON COUNTY SOUTH
TO NEAR DUMAS...AMARILLO...AND TULIA. DEW POINT TEMPERATURES EAST OF
THE DRYLINE REMAINED IN THE 50S TO AS HIGH AS LOWER TO MIDDLE
60S IN THE EXTREME EASTERN COUNTIES OF THE PANHANDLES.

THE DRYLINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ONLY SLOWLY EAST TODAY...AND WILL ACT
AS A FOCUS FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE 80S WITH DEW
POINTS IN THE 50S AND 60S EAST OF THE DRYLINE...WILL CAUSE THE
AIRMASS TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
APPROACH FROM THE WEST TONIGHT...PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE
...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE AS THEY
DEVELOP IN OR MOVE INTO THE MODERATE RISK AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...
WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO A POSSIBILITY.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE EASTERN
THREE-FOURTHS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT FOR LIKELY ACTIVATION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

TG
Special weather statement, May 5, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
TXZ001>009-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>003-061200-

TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
100 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE EASTERN THREE-FOURTHS OF THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS EAST OF A LINE FROM
BOISE CITY OKLAHOMA...TO DALHART TEXAS...TO VEGA TEXAS (JUST WEST OF
AMARILLO)...TO HEREFORD TEXAS.

AROUND NOON...STRONG SOUTH WINDS CONTINUED OVER EASTERN PARTS OF THE
PANHANDLES...WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE EASTERN
PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO INTO WESTERN PARTS OF THE PANHANDLES. THIS HAD
CAUSED THE DRYLINE TO MOVE OFF THE NEW MEXICO STATE LINE...WITH THE
DRYLINE EXTENDING ROUGHLY FROM EXTREME EASTERN CIMARRON COUNTY SOUTH
TO NEAR DUMAS...AMARILLO...AND TULIA. DEW POINT TEMPERATURES EAST OF
THE DRYLINE REMAINED IN THE 50S TO AS HIGH AS LOWER TO MIDDLE
60S IN THE EXTREME EASTERN COUNTIES OF THE PANHANDLES.

THE DRYLINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ONLY SLOWLY EAST TODAY...AND WILL ACT
AS A FOCUS FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WARMING INTO THE 80S WITH DEW
POINTS IN THE 50S AND 60S EAST OF THE DRYLINE...WILL CAUSE THE
AIRMASS TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
APPROACH FROM THE WEST TONIGHT...PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND FAVORABLE WIND PROFILE
...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE AS THEY
DEVELOP IN OR MOVE INTO THE MODERATE RISK AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...
WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO A POSSIBILITY.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE EASTERN
THREE-FOURTHS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT FOR LIKELY ACTIVATION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

TG
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:41 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
TXZ001>012-COZ015>017-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>004-008-009-012-013-272345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
 540 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES UNTIL 1100 PM CDT...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR HANSFORD COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

AT 630 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING FROM NORTHERN HUTCHISON COUNTY TO
NORTHERN TEXAS COUNTY IN OKLAHOMA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED IN
HANSFORD COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF GRUVER. SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

MOVEMENT IS NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SD
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:41 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
TXZ001>012-COZ015>017-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>004-008-009-012-013-272345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
 540 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES UNTIL 1100 PM CDT...

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR HANSFORD COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

AT 630 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING FROM NORTHERN HUTCHISON COUNTY TO
NORTHERN TEXAS COUNTY IN OKLAHOMA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED IN
HANSFORD COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF GRUVER. SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

MOVEMENT IS NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SD

The office that day

Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMATexas68 min
May 5, 6:55 PM CDTTornado WarningAMATexas50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

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.