Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 34, NWS Norman, OK

May 25, 1997Bryan County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 25, 1997, 10:00 PM CDT for Bryan County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 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 25, 1997, 10:00 PM CDT (03:00 UTC)
Expired: May 25, 1997, 10:45 PM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Norman, OK
Area: Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Bryan County, OK

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 176 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:52 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 25, 10:45 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 52	Silo, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 25, 8:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 166 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: 4787 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 865 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 135 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 184 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 5.1
Supercell composite: 22.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

794 
WFUS1 KOKC 260302 RRA
TOROKC
OKC013-260345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1000 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A TORNADO
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES

IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
     BRYAN

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
     BENNINGTON...BOKCHITO...CADDO...DURANT AND KENEFIC

AT 1001 PM CDT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF DURANT.
THE STORM HAS HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES.

THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

THIS TORNADO IS LIKELY OBSCURED BY RAIN AND MAY NOT BE VISIBLE.
 THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION -- TAKE COVER NOW.  ABANDON
MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES.  MOVE TO SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
POSSIBLE.  OTHERWISE...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR.  STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3392  9599 3395  9654 3416  9649 3412  9602

PURPURA

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 25, 3:32 PM CDT, 6 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 3:32 PM CDT, 6 hours 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
330 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

SCT STG TSTMS ARE NOW BGNG TO DVLP IN WRN OK.  XPCT THE STMS TO INCR
SIGLY IN CVRG OVR THE NEXT CPL HOURS.  AS A RSLT...HAVE GONE WITH HI
POPS XCPT IN FAR NW OK WHERE DRIER AIR HAS ARRIVED.  WL MNTN CHC SVR
OVR MOST OF THE FA DUE TO HIGHLY FVRBL CONDS FOR SVR WX.

ONCE THE STMS EXIT THE FA...PROB LATE THIS EVE...THE NEXT BIG
QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE WL BE ENUF MSTR ARND TMRW TO SUPPORT
CNVCTN.  INSTAB AND PROXIMITY OF SFC BNDRYS AND UPR LOW ALL SEEM TO
SUGGEST THE PSBLTY OF SCT TSTMS AGN TMRW...BUT THE AMT OF MSTR FCST
APPEARS TOO LOW FOR MUCH TO DVLP.  SO HAVE OPTED FOR LOW POPS...MNLY
CLOSE TO THE FOCUSING MECHANISMS.

ETA BRNGS A SIG COOL DOWN INTO THE NWRN ZNS ON TUE.  SITN APPEARS TO
BE THE TYPE WHERE COOL TEMPS WOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY LOW CLDS AND
GUSTY N WNDS.  IF THAT IS IN FACT WHAT HAPPENS...THE MAX TEMPS IN
THAT AREA COULD EASILY BE BLO 60 DEG.  AM NOT YET THAT CONFIDENT OF
SUCH A SIG DEPARTURE FM NRML...BUT WL STILL GO BLO FWC BY ABT 5 DEG.

AGN ELECTED TO GENERALLY FOLLOW NCEP GDNC RATHER THAN MRF FOR EXTDD.

FCSTID = 23 = CMS

OKC   63  87  60  84 /  60  20  10  20
HBR   60  88  58  79 /  40  20  10  10
SPS   67  90  60  82 /  40   0   0  10
GAG   55  84  55  70 /  10  20  20  20
PNC   65  86  58  78 /  50  30  30  30
DUA   68  92  67  86 /  50  20   0  10

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 25, 8:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
810 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

737 PM     5 S OF ROFF             OK     1.75 INCH HAIL.
05/25/97   PONTOTOC

753 PM     8 SW FITTSTOWN          OK     1.75 INCH HAIL, E70-80 MPH
05/25/97   PONTOTOC                       WINDS.

755 PM     6 SW FITTSTOWN          OK     WIND DAMAGE
05/25/97   PONTOTOC                       ROOF OFF BARN, TREES DOWN
                                          E80 MPH WINDS.

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 8:12 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
810 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

737 PM     5 S OF ROFF             OK     1.75 INCH HAIL.
05/25/97   PONTOTOC

753 PM     8 SW FITTSTOWN          OK     1.75 INCH HAIL, E70-80 MPH
05/25/97   PONTOTOC                       WINDS.

755 PM     6 SW FITTSTOWN          OK     WIND DAMAGE
05/25/97   PONTOTOC                       ROOF OFF BARN, TREES DOWN
                                          E80 MPH WINDS.

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 9:00 PM CDT, 1 hour before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
900 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

820 PM     2 1/2 NE OF MILL CREEK  OK    TORNADO
05/25/97   JOHNSTON                      REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

848 PM     2 N TUPELO              OK    TORNADO
05/25/97   COAL                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY MANG.

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 9:01 PM CDT, 59 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
900 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

820 PM     2 1/2 NE OF MILL CREEK  OK    TORNADO
05/25/97   JOHNSTON                      REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

848 PM     2 N TUPELO              OK    TORNADO
05/25/97   COAL                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY MANG.

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 9:30 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
930 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

0920 PM    ATOKA                   OK     1.00 INCH HAIL.
05/25/97   ATOKA

CW

Local storm report, May 25, 9:30 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
930 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997

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

0920 PM    ATOKA                   OK     1.00 INCH HAIL.
05/25/97   ATOKA

CW

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 25, 7:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Murray	62 min
May 25, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin	46 min
May 25, 7:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Pontotoc	60 min
May 25, 7:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Johnston, Pontotoc	48 min
May 25, 7:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Carter	33 min
May 25, 7:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Carter	46 min
May 25, 8:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Coal, Johnston, Pontotoc	55 min
May 25, 8:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Johnston, Marshall	39 min
May 25, 8:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter	44 min
May 25, 8:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Atoka, Johnston	31 min
May 25, 9:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Kay	38 min
May 25, 9:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Bryan, Marshall	45 min
May 25, 9:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Atoka, Pushmataha	35 min
May 25, 9:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Kay	51 min
May 25, 9:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Atoka	48 min
May 25, 10:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Kay	44 min
May 25, 10:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Atoka, Pushmataha	45 min
May 25, 11:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Choctaw, Pushmataha	45 min
May 26, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Seminole	50 min
May 26, 6:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Seminole	30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1997 Every tornado warning in 1997 Tornadoes in 1997

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.