Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Norman, OK

May 6, 1994Payne County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 6, 1994, 9:57 PM CDT for Payne County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 6, 1994, 9:57 PM CDT (02:57 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 1994, 10:30 PM CDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Norman, OK
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Payne County, OK

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:01 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 6, 10:12 PM CDT	Tornado F0	Ripley, 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, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 106 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: 1390 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -144 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1160 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 215 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 5.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KOKC 070300
TOROKC
OKC119-070330-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
957 PM CDT FRI MAY 06 1994

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     PAYNE

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     CUSHING...MEHAN...RIPLEY AND YALE

AT 957 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF YALE. IN
ADDITION...A DEVELOPING TORNADO WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF
RIPLEY. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...SEEK SHELTER NOW.

THE TORNADOES WERE MOVING SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. 

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 A SMALL INTERIOR
ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...
PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
ABANDON MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A
DITCH OR CULVERT.

TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE
HARD TO SEE.  AT NIGHT OR DURING HEAVY RAIN...THE ONLY CLUE TO
A TORNADO'S PRESENCE MAY BE ITS ROAR.  IF ANY UNUSUAL ROAR IS
HEARD...QUICKLY TAKE COVER IN YOUR BASEMENT.  IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A
CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  YOU MAY ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS.
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET
INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.  REMAIN UNDER COVER UNTIL YOU ARE
CERTAIN THE STORM IS PAST.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
OKLAHOMA UNTIL 1000PM CDT AND A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA UNTIL 300AM CDT.


LAT...LON 3595  9666 3595  9699 3619  9701 3615  9662

MTE

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.

NWS Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 6, 3:42 PM CDT, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 3:42 PM CDT, 6 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
340 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

MESONET DATA INDCTS CDFNT HAS MOVD INTO FAR NWRN ZNS OF FA LATE THIS
AFTN. FNT WL CONT TO MOV SLOLY SEWD THIS EVE...AND THEN PICK UP A LTL
SPEED AS LOW AND MID LVL COOLING MOVS THRU THE CNTRL PLNS. ANY CNCTN
ALNG FNT CUD ALSO SPEED UP SWD MVMNT OF WND SHFT LINE. STRG CAP OVR AREA
HAS SUPPRESSED CNVCTN ALG THE FNT THUS FAR. MWHL.. QUITE A BIT OF HI
CLDS OVR CNTRL AND NRN OK HAS HELD TEMPS BLO VALUES NEEDED TO BRK THE
CAP DURG THE AFTN. HWVR... XPCT CNVCTN TO FINALLY BRK OUT LATE AFTN OR
EVE IN VCNTY OF FNT AND MOV INTO NRN OK. NWRN ZNS LOOK LESS FVRBL FOR
TSTMS DUE TO FNT MOVG THRU AREA... AND SHALLOWER LOW LVL MSTR FIELD. A
FEW SVR TSTMS WL BE PSBL DUE TO FVRBL LOW LVL SHR AND GUD
INSTABILITIES... ALTHO WIND SPDS ARE NOT ESP STRG. MODELS SUGGEST MID
LVL  COOLING MOVG INTO AREA LTR TNGT...WITH ETA MOST PRONOUNCED... WL
ERODE THE CAP. THE EROSION...COMBINED WITH CNVRGNC ALNG THE FNT... SHUD
AID TSTM DVLPMNT SWD ACRS AREA OVRNGT. BEST CHCS WL BE IN ERN HLF OF
AREA WHERE MSTR WL BE BEST AND CAP WEAKEST.

FNT XPCTD TO BE IN SCNTRL OR SERN OK BY MRNG...WITH CLDS BEGINNING TO
DCRS FM THE NW DURG THE DAY. BLV LFM/NGM MOS ARE TOO WRM/COLD FOR SAT...
AND WL GENLY GO SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.

BIG QUESTION RMNS ON TIMING OF ERN PAC LOW OFF CA CST DURG EXTENDED PD.
MRF SEEMS TO BE TOO QUICK TO MOV CUT-OFF LOW EWD THRU FCST PD. WL BACK
OFF ON SPEED OF SYS AND LINGER CHC OF RAIN INTO WEDS.

FCSTID=32
HBR   58  75  50  77 / 30  20  0   10
OKC   61  72  51  75 / 50  30  0   0
SPS   62  77  53  78 / 20  20  0   10
GAG   54  70  47  74 / 30  10  0   10
PNC   58  70  49  73 / 60  10 . 0   0
DUA   64  74  55  77 / 30  60  10  0

.OKC...NONE.
.TX...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 4:40 PM CDT, 5 hours 17 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
440 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

430 PM                KAY             DIME SIZE HAIL AT PECKHAM

435 PM                KAY             DIME SIZE HAIL 4W OF NEWKIRK

MT

Local storm report, May 6, 4:44 PM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
440 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

430 PM                KAY             DIME SIZE HAIL AT PECKHAM

435 PM                KAY             DIME SIZE HAIL 4W OF NEWKIRK

MT

Local storm report, May 6, 9:44 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
945 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

600 PM                KAY             PENNY SIZE HAIL 5E OF KILDARE

600 PM                KAY             GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND ROOF BLOWN
                                      OF A WELLHOUSE 8SE OF NEWKIRK

715 PM                KAY             70 MPH WINDS 8 ESE OF PONCA CITY
                                      ON THE KAY/OSAGE COUNTY LINE

940 PM                NE PAYNE        QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN GLENCOE

MT

Local storm report, May 6, 9:45 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
945 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

600 PM                KAY             PENNY SIZE HAIL 5E OF KILDARE

600 PM                KAY             GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND ROOF BLOWN
                                      OF A WELLHOUSE 8SE OF NEWKIRK

715 PM                KAY             70 MPH WINDS 8 ESE OF PONCA CITY
                                      ON THE KAY/OSAGE COUNTY LINE

940 PM                NE PAYNE        QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN GLENCOE

MT

Local storm report, May 6, 9:55 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
955 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

946 PM               NE PAYNE        GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL JUST SOUTH OF
                                     GLENCOE

950 PM               NE PAYNE        POSSIBLE TORNADO SIGHTED 4ESE OF
                                     YALE

 MT

Local storm report, May 6, 9:56 PM CDT, 1 minute before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
955 PM CDT FRI MAY 6 1994

TIME                 COUNTY            LOCATION/EVENT

946 PM               NE PAYNE        GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL JUST SOUTH OF
                                     GLENCOE

950 PM               NE PAYNE        POSSIBLE TORNADO SIGHTED 4ESE OF
                                     YALE

 MT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 7:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Kay	18 min
May 6, 8:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Kay	36 min
May 6, 9:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Noble, Payne	51 min
May 6, 9:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Payne	29 min
May 6, 10:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Payne	47 min
May 6, 10:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Lincoln	45 min
May 6, 11:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Lincoln	40 min
May 7, 12:22 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Seminole	38 min
May 7, 12:31 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Hughes	29 min
May 7, 12:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Hughes	40 min
May 7, 1:33 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Hughes	27 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1994 Every tornado warning in 1994 Tornadoes in 1994

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.