Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 31, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 28, 1996, 12:56 AM CDT for Osage County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 34 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 28, 1996, 12:56 AM CDT (05:56 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 28, 1996, 1:30 AM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
County Osage County, OK
The radar
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 1:00 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Burbank, OK | |
| Apr 28, 1:10 AM CDT | Hail 2.5 | Shidler, OK | |
| Apr 28, 1:16 AM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Foraker, OK | |
| Apr 28, 1:19 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 59 | Shidler, OK | |
| Apr 28, 1:23 AM CDT | Hail 1 | Foraker, OK | |
| Apr 28, 1:26 AM CDT | Hail 1.25 | Pawhuska, 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, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 181 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
- 1118 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -65 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1297 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 64 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 204 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 405 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.4
- Supercell composite
- 7.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTUL 280557 TORTUL OKC113-280630- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1256 AM CDT SUN APR 28 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 130 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA ...WESTERN OSAGE COUNTY AT 1255 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF BURBANK...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. BURBANK AND SHIDLER ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 70 MPH. PERSONS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY! 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 WALL"S AND AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET IN A GROUND DEPRESSION. 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 27, 8:32 PM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 8:32 PM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 830 PM CDT SAT APR 27 1996 LATEST SFC MAP COMPLEX..WITH SFC LOW BTWN AMA AND LBB...WRMFNT AND ASSOC STG MOISTR CNVRGNCE JUST N OF KS/MO BRDR...APRNT 2NDRY WRMFNT ALNG RED RIVER (WITH WK SFC RDGG OVR CTRL AR)...AND APRNT CDFNT FRM WRN NBRKSKA TO NE CO. 00Z SNDGS STILL CAPPED...BUT QUITE UNSTBL THANKS TO 14 TO 15 DGR 850 MB DWPTS ON OUN/FWD SNDGS. 88D SHOWS APRNTLY ELEV RW/TRW DVLPG BTWN PNC AND ICT MOVG E. WHEN CAP BREAKS...MDT INSTBY RELEASED (ELEV CAPES OF 1000 TO 1500) WHICH SHUD LEAD TO STG/SVR TSTM DVLPMNT...MOST LKLY DURG NXT SVRL HRS ACRS SRN KS AND PERHAPS XTRM NRN OK. MDL DATA INDCT ALL INGRED (NOSE OF LLJ...STG LLVL THETA-E ADVCTN... LIFT IN RRQ OF UPR JET LT TNGT...DIFFLUENT THCKNSS PTRN) WL BE PRESENT FOR MCS DVLPMNT OVR SRN KS AFTR MDNGT TNGT...TRACKG ESE OVR SE KS/NE OK/SW MO/NW AR DURG NGT. FURTHR S ACRS SE OK...AMS WL REMAIN STGLY CAPPED...AND CHCS FOR RAIN TNGT MUCH LWR. WL CONT HI POPS NRN ZNS...WL LWR POPS BLO 50 IN SRN ZNS. WL CONT MENT OF SVR MOST ZNS DUE TO FVRBL INSTBY/SHEAR...THO BEST CHC WL LKLY BE ALNG/N OF TUL-FYV LN. WL ALSO CONT MENT OF HVY RN NE ZNS. IF MCS DOES DVLP...CUD SEE RNFL AMTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IN ITS PATH. NOT CERTAIN IF MCS WUD TRACK OVR FCST AREA OR JUST N OF AREA...SO WL HOLD OFF ON FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NE ZNS FOR NOW...WL REEVAL ARND MIDNGT. NOT SURE HOW FAR S CDFNT WL GET BY TMRW MRNG...THO THINK IT WL BE N AND W OF TUL ARND DAWN. THIS AND INCRSG SFC DWPTS PLUS WIND LEAD ME TO INCRS LOW TEMPS TNGT IN MANY ZNS...55 TO 60 LOOKS OKAY OVR NW AR AND ALNG KS/OK BRDR...BUT PROB WL STAY ABV 60 ELSWHR. FOR TMRW WL NOT ADJUST PCPN FCST ATTM...BUT WL MASSAGE TEMP FCST UP A LTL CTRL/SRN ZNS DUE TO PSBLTY OF LATER THAN XPCTD CDFNTL PASSAGE...WL ADD GUSTY TO WINDS AS WELL...WL FEEL NOTICEABLY COLDER THAN TDAY. AFTR TNGT/TMRW MRNG PCPN...CUD GET BREAK UNTIL LT IN THE DAY OR TMRW NGT AS STG S/W APRCHS AND PRODS OVRRNG PCPN OVR FCST AREA. POPS TMRW SEEM AWFULLY HI...BUT WL LET NXT SHIFT REEVAL THIS AFTR LOOKING AT NXT MDL RUN. MIGHT EVEN SEE ANOTHR SVR WX THREAT TMRW AFTN SE ZNS IF CDFNT SLOWS DOWN (PSBLTY AS FLOW ALOFT BCMS PARALLEL TO SFC BNDRY). NO OTHR CHGS PLANNED ATTM. PW .TUL... OK...NONE. AR...NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 27, 8:04 PM CDT, 4 hours 52 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>077-281200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 805 PM CDT SAT APR 27 1996 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LATER TONIGHT. A LAYER OF WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS PROVIDED A STRONG CAP OVER THE AREA THAT HAS PREVENTED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. HOWEVER...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT. EARLY THIS EVENING A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPING OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS. A FEW SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR THE WARM FRONT ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER...AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED AS A STRONG SOUTHERLY JET STREAM CONTINUES TO PULL MOIST AIR NORTHWARD. AS STORMS DEVELOP ALONG THE WARM FRONT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO TRACK TO THE EAST OR SOUTHEAST TOWARD NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE STORMS COULD FORM A COMPLEX THAT WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OR HAIL. THE MAIN THREAT FOR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WOULD BE GENERALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...HOWEVER NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE THIS EVENING. THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD ALSO BE CONFINED MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF I-40 WITH THE GREATEST THREAT NEAR THE KANS<AS AND MISSOURI BORDERS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS WEATHER SITUATION AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER TONIGHT.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 12:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 65 min |
| Apr 28, 1:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 40 min |
| Apr 28, 1:27 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Osage | 33 min |
| Apr 28, 1:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Nowata | 43 min |
| Apr 28, 1:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 35 min |
| Apr 28, 2:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Craig | 45 min |
| Apr 28, 2:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 56 min |
| Apr 28, 2:16 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Nowata | 44 min |
| Apr 28, 2:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Ottawa | 57 min |
| Apr 28, 2:40 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 35 min |
| Apr 28, 2:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Nowata | 44 min |
| Apr 28, 3:13 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Craig | 47 min |
| Apr 28, 3:35 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Ottawa | 40 min |
| Apr 28, 4:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pittsburg | 33 min |
| Apr 28, 5:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Muskogee | 27 min |
| Apr 28, 5:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sequoyah | 54 min |
| Apr 28, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Cherokee | 28 min |
| Apr 28, 5:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Adair | 41 min |
| Apr 28, 5:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | LeFlore | 54 min |
| Apr 28, 6:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | LeFlore, Sequoyah | 51 min |
| Apr 28, 6:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | LeFlore | 49 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.