Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1996

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Tulsa, OK

April 21, 1996Haskell County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 21, 1996, 9:30 PM CDT for Haskell County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 min. 6 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
Apr 21, 1996, 9:30 PM CDT (02:30 UTC)
Expired
Apr 21, 1996, 10:15 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Haskell County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 21, 9:50 PM CDTThunderstorm WindKinta, OK
Apr 21, 9:50 PM CDTThunderstorm WindCountywide, OK
Apr 21, 10:00 PM CDTTornado F1Kinta, OK
Apr 21, 10:07 PM CDTThunderstorm WindStigler, OK
Apr 21, 10:07 PM CDTHail 1.75Stigler, OK
Apr 21, 10:15 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 55Stigler, 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 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 207 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 1996-04-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 392 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 1996-04-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 295 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
392 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1442 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
484 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 220231
TORTUL
OKC061-220315-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
930 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...HASKELL COUNTY
 
AT 929 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ENTERPRISE OR
NEAR BLOCKER IN PITTSBURG COUNTY. THIS STORM PRODUCED A TORNADO IN
MCALESTER. THE TORNADO IS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. IF YOUR IN
BLOCKER...ENTERPISE AND QUINTON YOU SHOULD BE IN PLACE OF SAFETY.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE.
OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.
STAY AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS AND AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND
MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET IN A GROUND DEPRESSION.
 
WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DEVELOPING STORMS.  LARGE HAILSTONES AND UNUSUALLY
LOW SWIRLING CLOUDS ARE MANY TIMES SEEN NEAR DEVELOPING TORNADOES.
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES OFTEN PRODUCE A LOUD ROARING
SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF STORMS. FREQUENT AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING OCCURS WITH MOST SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
 
KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS.
 
 
 
&

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 21, 9:21 PM CDT, 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 9:21 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
920 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

WATER VAPOR SHOWS A SHORTWAVE MOVING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS CENTRAL
KANSAS...WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND INTO WEST TEXAS.  MEANWHILE...SURFACE
MAPS SHOW A COLD FRONT FROM JUST WEST OF A TOP-ICT-GAG-DHT LINE
WITH DEW POINTS BETWEEN 60 TO 65 TO ITS SOUTHEAST ACROSS MUCH OF
OKLAHOMA AND INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.  MOISTURE AT 8H SHOULD ALSO
BE PLENTIFUL WITH 12C DEW POINTS AT FTW AND SHV.  KTLX AND KINX 88-
D'S SHOW SCT STRONG TRW ACROSS THE REGION AND EXPECT THIS WILL
CONTINUE UNTIL THE COLD FRONT PASSES LATER TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
MORNING.  THINK FLASH FLOOD THREAT IS MARGINAL BUT WILL KEEP IT
WITH ALL THE STORMS AROUND AND SOME STORMS HAVING THE POTENTIAL TO
PRODUCE A QUICK INCH AND A HALF OR TWO INCHES ON TOP OF PLACES
WHICH MAY HAVE ALREADY HAD STORMS.  THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING
WILL END AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES WITH ONLY LINGERING PATCHES OF
LIGHT RAIN REMAINING.  RAIN SHOULD END FROM THE NORTHWEST TOMORROW
AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST AWAY FROM THE AREA.

.TUL...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH ZNS 54>76 TONIGHT.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH ZNS 1/2/10/11/19/29 TONIGHT.

ABBAS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:14 PM CDT, 5 hours 16 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
412 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0334 PM    6 NW PRYOR                OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   MAYES

0408 PM    6 S VINITA                OK  1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   CRAIG
Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:21 PM CDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
419 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0334 PM    6 NW PRYOR                OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   MAYES

0408 PM    6 S VINITA                OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   CRAIG

0418 PM    VINITA                    OK   .75 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   CRAIG
Local storm report, Apr 21, 4:27 PM CDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
426 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0424 PM    BIG CABIN                 OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   CRAIG
Local storm report, Apr 21, 5:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
458 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0446 PM    10 N PAWHUSKA      X       OK   0.88 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   OSAGE

0448 PM    FAIRLAND                  OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   OTTAWA
Local storm report, Apr 21, 7:30 PM CDT, 2 hours before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
730 PM CDT SUN APR 21 1996

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0728 PM    7 W WELCH          (       OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/21/96   CRAIG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 21, 7:05 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACraig, Nowata40 min
Apr 21, 7:09 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAWashington36 min
Apr 21, 7:22 PM CDTTornado WarningTSANowata53 min
Apr 21, 7:32 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACraig, Ottawa43 min
Apr 21, 7:43 PM CDTTornado WarningTSANowata32 min
Apr 21, 7:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig21 min
Apr 21, 8:08 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOttawa37 min
Apr 21, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg55 min
Apr 21, 8:57 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg48 min
Apr 21, 9:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee41 min
Apr 21, 9:39 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPittsburg21 min
Apr 21, 10:05 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAHaskell40 min
Apr 21, 10:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkmulgee45 min
Apr 21, 10:22 PM CDTTornado WarningTSALeFlore, Sequoyah53 min
Apr 21, 10:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh50 min
Apr 21, 10:37 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSACherokee3 hr
Apr 21, 11:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee43 min
Apr 21, 11:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSARogers, Tulsa, Wagoner47 min
Apr 21, 11:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Okmulgee50 min
Apr 21, 11:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee46 min
Apr 22, 12:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Muskogee, Okmulgee50 min
Apr 22, 12:36 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh39 min
Apr 22, 12:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACherokee, Wagoner49 min
Apr 22, 12:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg44 min
Apr 22, 12:55 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAMuskogee35 min
Apr 22, 12:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASequoyah46 min
Apr 22, 1:19 AM CDTTornado WarningTSASequoyah41 min
Apr 22, 1:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee51 min
Apr 22, 1:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg32 min
Apr 22, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, Latimer54 min
Apr 22, 1:45 AM CDTTornado WarningTSALatimer, Pittsburg45 min
Apr 22, 1:50 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAAdair40 min
Apr 22, 2:18 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALatimer, Pittsburg3 hr
Apr 22, 2:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, LeFlore53 min
Apr 22, 2:34 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAHaskell3 hr
Apr 22, 7:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALatimer, Pittsburg119 min
Apr 22, 7:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALeFlore119 min
Apr 22, 8:37 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAHaskell2 hr

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.