Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 182, NWS Tulsa, OK

June 16, 1997LeFlore County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 16, 1997, 5:45 PM CDT for LeFlore County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 min. 3 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
Jun 16, 1997, 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1997, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County LeFlore County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 16, 5:53 PM CDTHail 0.75Panama, OK
Jun 16, 6:00 PM CDTHail 0.75Spiro, OK
Jun 16, 6:10 PM CDTHail 0.75Spiro, 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 16, 4:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 237 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1997-06-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1997-06-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -217 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
870 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-217 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-88 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 162247 RRA
SVRTUL
OKC079-162330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
545 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...LE FLORE COUNTY
 
AT 543 RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES WEST OF PANAMA
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PANAMBA...SPIRO...AND STONY POINT ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE WARNED AREA.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 16, 3:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 3:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
333 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

LOOKS LIKE ITS GONNA GET VERY BUSY AROUND HERE OVER NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.  SWRN UPR LOW LIFTING OUT...BUT NOT BEFORE GIVING FCSTRS
ACROSS THE REGION A FEW HEADACHES.  MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT IN A
WET OVERNIGHT ON INTO TUESDAY ACROSS THE FCST AREA.  WL ISSUE FLASH
FLOOD WATCH FOR ERN OK/NWRN AR TONIGHT AND WL MENTION POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE TSRA MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE ZONES.

90 KT UPR JETMAX WL CONTINUE MOVG OUT OF SERN QUAD OF FILLING UPR
CIRCULATION...MOVG ACRS FCST AREA OVERNIGHT.  FAVORABLE RR QUAD OF
UPR JET POSND SUCH THAT SRN 2/3 OF FCST AREA EXPECTED TO SEE HEAVY
RAINFALL THRU 12Z.  HOWEVER...RAINS FROM LAST NIGHT SATURATED THE
GROUND ACRS NRN FCST AREA...SUCH THAT NWRN ZONE FLASH FLOOD
GUIDANCES ARE NOW VERY LOW.  WL THEREFORE PUT FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN
EFFECT FOR EVERYBODY.

AS FAR AS OTHER SVR POTNL...EXTREME INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH
MODERATELY STRONG UPR DYNAMICS AND FVBL MID LVL WNDS SUGGEST POTNL
OF NMRS SVR TSTMS LATE THIS AFTN AND INTO THE EVENING HRS.  WINDS
MAY GET BACKED JUST ENOUGH NEAR THE SFC BNDRY POSND FROM SPS TO BVO
TO SUGGEST THAT HELICITIES MAY FAVOR TORNADIC TENDENCIES WITH SOME
CELLS.  WL MENTION POTNL OF SVR ALL ZONES TONIGHT.  BUSY LATE AFTN
AND NIGHT IN STORE ON THE RADAR.

WL KEEP LIKELY POPS IN THRU TOMORROW AS SFC BNDRY AND REFLECTION
SLOWLY INCHES EWD AND UPR DYNAMICS MOVE OUT TO E.   POPS MORE
FAVORED THRU MID DAY ERN OK AND THRU EARLY AFTN WRN AR.  WL LEAVE
IN A CHC POP FAR SERN ZONES TUE NIGHT FOR LINGERING BNDRY AND LLVL
MSTR...BUT MAINLY FOR EARLY.

TEMPWISE...WL JUST ADJUST FWC GUIDANCES FOR LOCAL TRENDS AND FOR
CLOUDCOVER TOMORROW.  OTHER THAN THAT...GENLY ACCEPTED.

IN THE EXTENDED...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCES SUGGESTING THAT WE WILL BE
TRENDING BACK INTO A MORE SUMMERLIKE PATTERN AFTER TUE.  HIGHS WL
MOVE INTO LWR 90S WITH AMPLE DRY RIDGING IN PLACE TO SUGGEST WARM
AND SUNNY DAYS...CLEAR COOL NIGHTS.

COORD WITH NWSFO OUN...NWSFO LIT...NWSO SHV.  THANKS.   /14

PRELIM NUMBERS...

TUL 68/83/64/88 87-0    FYV 66/79/60/85 972-
FSM 69/83/65/90 972-    IDB 70/85/65/88 973-
ML"C 70/84/65/91 972-    BYV 66/79/60/85 972-
BVO 68/83/64/88 77-0

.TUL...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT ZONES 054>077.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT ZONES 001/002/010/011/019/029.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 16, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-171200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE GREATEST
THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM TULSA TO FORT
SMITH.

A NEARLY STATIONARY OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WAS LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS BOUNDARY EXTENDED FROM PAGE TO
OKEMAH AT MIDDAY...AND MAY MOVE SLOWLY NORTH LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA TO WICHITA
FALLS TEXAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA
TONIGHT.

THE AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WILL BECOME VERY
UNSTABLE...WITH EXTREME INSTABILITY SOUTH OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. CONVERGENCE NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
AND ALSO ALONG THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO INITIATE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN 3 AND 5 PM.  THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON WILL QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT OF NEW MEXICO THIS
AFTERNOON AND INTO TEXAS TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL HELP ORGANIZE AND
SUSTAIN THUNDERSTORMS...WITH A LARGE COMPLEX OF STORMS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS OVERNIGHT. THE COMPLEX OF
STORMS WILL SPREAD INTO ARKANSAS LATE TONIGHT.

A FEW SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SOUTH OF A TULSA TO FORT
SMITH LINE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THE WIND PROFILE WILL BE
FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. LATER THIS EVENING
AND TONIGHT...THE THREAT WILL EVOLVE INTO STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A THREAT OF
EXCESSIVE RAINS AND FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN
THE STORM COMPLEX BECOMES ORGANIZED.

THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE AREA OF INITIAL THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON. IF THE INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
OCCURS NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OR COLD FRONT ACROSS EASTERN
OKLAHOMA...THEN NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED.
HOWEVER...THERE IS A CHANCE THAT INITIAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD FOCUS NEAR
THE COLD FRONT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA OR NORTHERN TEXAS. IF
THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS FOCUSES IN TEXAS OR SOUTH CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA...THEN FEWER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE EXPECTED ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.
Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:50 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
450 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0705 PM    HARTFORD                  AR   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   SEBASTIAN                      AT LEAST ONE TREE AND SEVERAL
                                          TREE LIMBS DOWN NEAR HARTFORD

0900 PM    5 W NOWATA                OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   NOWATA                         SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          BLOWN DOWN                                         DOWN

0905 PM    10 N TALALA               OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   ROGERS |                        TREE BLOWN OVER INTO TRAILER
Local storm report, Jun 16, 5:25 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
525 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0700 PM    WHITEFIELD                OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
06/16/97   HASKELL                        WIND UP TO 60 MPH AROUND
                                          700 TO 715 PM...POWER
                                          OUTAGE
Local storm report, Jun 16, 5:35 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
535 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0855 PM 2   8 S BRISTOW               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
06/16/97   CREEK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 1:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage53 min
Jun 16, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAWashington29 min
Jun 16, 2:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata52 min
Jun 16, 3:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa45 min
Jun 16, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa31 min
Jun 16, 7:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAWagoner50 min
Jun 16, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee, Okmulgee49 min
Jun 16, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore44 min
Jun 16, 5:09 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh, Okfuskee, Okmulgee51 min
Jun 16, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALatimer29 min
Jun 16, 5:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg44 min
Jun 16, 5:37 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh53 min
Jun 16, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, Latimer56 min
Jun 16, 6:02 PM CDTTornado WarningTSALeFlore43 min
Jun 16, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkmulgee51 min
Jun 16, 6:17 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAHaskell, Pittsburg43 min
Jun 16, 6:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASequoyah40 min
Jun 16, 6:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee52 min
Jun 16, 6:27 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh, Muskogee48 min
Jun 16, 6:44 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAHaskell46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.