Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 47, NWS Norman, OK
NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Aug 11, 1996, 5:53 PM CDT for Stephens County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 37 min. 2 reports 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
- Aug 11, 1996, 5:53 PM CDT (22:53 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 11, 1996, 6:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 37 min
- Issued by
- NWS Norman, OK
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
County Stephens County, OK
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 6:00 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Duncan, OK | |
| Aug 11, 6:30 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Comanche, 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.
The nearest sounding before it
Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 94 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
- 334 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -59 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 581 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 108 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 173 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KOKC 112254
TOROKC
OKC137-112330-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
553 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
STEPHENS
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
BRAY...COMANCHE...CORUM...DUNCAN...EMPIRE CITY...LOCO...
MARLOW AND VELMA
AT 553 PM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY SPOTTERS 8 MILES WEST OF
MARLOW. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTH AT ABOUT 30 MPH.
THIS STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE HAIL UP TO BASEBALL SIZE...OR
LARGER.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN
TEXAS UNTIL 1000PM CDT.
LAT...LON 3431 9760 3427 9813 3466 9801 3466 9774
PURPURAWhat 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 Aug 11, 3:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 11, 3:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 3 30 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996 SHORT TERM DISC...TNTE THRU TUE: ETA MUCH STGR ON SW APCNHG FM KS. FEATURE DEPICTED ON SATL LOOP MATCHED WELL WITH ETA AND THUS FOLLOWED ETA GUIDANCE MOST CLOSELY. SW PROGD BY ETA TO BE IN S KS BY 00Z THEN MOVE TO SE OF MLC BY 12Z MON. FEATURE WILL BEGIN TO PRODUCE MORE WDSPRD ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES OVR MUCH MORE UNSTABLE AMS LATE THIS PM. ACTIVITY SHLD MOVE SWD INTO N CNTL...THEN CNTL...ZONES. OTHER SVR ACTIVITY DVLPNG S OF SFC BNDRIES IN HI CAPE AIR WITH LOTS OF INSOLATION. LARGE ISOLD RIGHT MOVG SVR STORM IN WRN OK ATTM IS GENERATING GOLFBALL HAIL REPORTS. UPR SYS MOVES THRU ALL BUT SRN PTN OF FA FOR MON WITH RHS DROPPING ALL BUT SE. WL KP POPS IN FOR AM ACRS N CNTL/CNTL THEN THRU AFTN FOR SE. FOR MON NITE/TUES FNTL BNDRY MOVES N ACRS FA INTO SRN KS BY 48 HRS. BEST MOISTURE/LEAST CAPPING IN CNTL/ SERN ZNES SO KPT POPS IN THRU TUES. LONG TERM DISC...WED THRU FRI...REMNANTS OF FNT OVR AREA AND NW FLO ALFT WL SET STAGE FOR CONTINUED CHCS OF RW/TRW. ESP OVRNIGHTS ON EDGE OF CAP. HIEST CHCS ON FRI...AS LO LVL RTN MOISTURE FLO INCREASES...LOWEST CHCS ON THU AS SWRN US RIDGE PUSHES OUT ACRS SRN PLNS AND CAPPING STGST. THRU EXTD PD HIEST POPS WILL BE NRN AND ERN ZONES. FCSTID = 7 FIRST GUESS NUMBERS...SUBJECT TO CHANGE OKC 65 85 67 90 / 50 30 20 30 HBR 67 91 68 94 / 40 10 10 20 SPS 67 91 68 94 / 40 10 10 20 GAG 63 89 65 92 / 30 10 10 10 PNC 64 85 65 89 / 50 20 10 10 DUA 66 87 67 87 / 40 40 30 30 .OKC... OK...NONE. TX...NONE. PURPURA
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 1:16 PM CDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
OKZ004>006-009-010-110815- THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 100 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996 THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS... MAINLY TO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HOLDENVILLE TO OKLAHOMA CITY TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE WEST OF ERICK. CLOUDS WERE BREAKING UP AT MIDDAY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND WIDESPREAD SUNSHINE WAS ALREADY OCCURRING ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS. SATELLITE PHOTOS AT EARLY AFTERNOON SHOWED A DISTURBANCE ALOFT MOVING SOUTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN KANSAS. ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR HAS SPREAD INTO NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING AT THE SURFACE ALONG WITH SOME COOLING ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS LIKELY THAT SCAATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP... MOST PROBABLY IN THE HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WIND OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD...A FEW OF THEM MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS MAY POSSIBLY REQUIRE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DGN
Special weather statement, Aug 11, 1:20 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
OKZ004>006-009-010-112000- THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 100 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996 THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS... MAINLY TO THE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM HOLDENVILLE TO OKLAHOMA CITY TO THE TEXAS STATE LINE WEST OF ERICK. CLOUDS WERE BREAKING UP AT MIDDAY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND WIDESPREAD SUNSHINE WAS ALREADY OCCURRING ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS. SATELLITE PHOTOS AT EARLY AFTERNOON SHOWED A DISTURBANCE ALOFT MOVING SOUTHWARD THROUGH EASTERN KANSAS. ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR HAS SPREAD INTO NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS. DAYTIME HEATING AT THE SURFACE ALONG WITH SOME COOLING ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS LIKELY THAT SCAATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP... MOST PROBABLY IN THE HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. WIND OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD...A FEW OF THEM MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS MAY POSSIBLY REQUIRE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DGN
Local storm report, Aug 11, 3:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 325 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996 TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS... DATE ....COUNTY LOCATION.... 0255 PM ALEDO OK 1.75 INCH HAIL 08/11/96 DEWEY 0300 PM 10 NW CUSTER CITY OK 1.75 INCH HAIL 08/11/96 CUSTER MCCLURE
Local storm report, Aug 11, 4:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
410 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
DATE ....COUNTY LOCATION....
0330 PM 4 NW ARAPAHO OK 1.00 INCH HAIL
08/11/96 CUSTER
0340 PM FOSS OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
08/11/96 WASHITA
0348 PM 1 S FOSS OK 60 MPH WINDS
08/11/96 WASHITA
0355 PM BRURNS FLAT OK 83 MPH WIND GUST
08/11/96 WASHITA RECORDED BY CLINTON
ASOS.
MCCLURELocal storm report, Aug 11, 5:00 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK
500 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
DATE ....COUNTY LOCATION....
0430 PM 12 NW LONE WOLF OK WIND DAMAGE
08/11/96 KIOWA 6 TO 12 INCH DIAMETER
TREE LIMBS DOWN.
80 MPH WINDS.
0.88 INCH HAIL.
0431 PM 2 W DILL CITY OK WIND DAMAGE
08/11/96 WASHITA TREES DOWN.
0454 PM 1 N GRANITE OK 75 MPH WINDS
08/11/96 GREER
0454 PM ALTUS LAKE OK 1 INCH HAIL
08/11/96 GREER
$
MCCLURELocal storm report, Aug 11, 5:41 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OKLAHOMA CITY OK 545 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 1996 TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS... DATE ....COUNTY LOCATION.... 0520 PM 6 SE RUSH SPRINGS OK 1 INCH HAIL 08/11/96 GRADY 0528 PM MARLOW OK 1.75 INCH HAIL 08/11/96 STEPHENS MCCLURE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Norman, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 7:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Carter | 48 min |
| Aug 10, 7:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Harmon | 46 min |
| Aug 10, 7:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jackson | 39 min |
| Aug 10, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Carter, Love | 47 min |
| Aug 10, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Jackson | 47 min |
| Aug 11, 2:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Custer, Dewey | 40 min |
| Aug 11, 3:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Custer, Washita | 49 min |
| Aug 11, 4:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Kiowa, Washita | 37 min |
| Aug 11, 4:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Greer | 40 min |
| Aug 11, 4:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kiowa | 47 min |
| Aug 11, 4:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Greer | 36 min |
| Aug 11, 5:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grady, Stephens | 53 min |
| Aug 11, 5:07 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Greer, Jackson | 38 min |
| Aug 11, 5:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Jackson | 40 min |
| Aug 11, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Harmon | 43 min |
| Aug 11, 6:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Cotton, Jefferson | 42 min |
| Aug 11, 6:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OUN | Carter, Jefferson, Stephens | 45 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996
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.