Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 224, NWS Tulsa, OK

July 3, 1997Osage County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 3, 1997, 6:33 PM CDT for Osage County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 57 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 3, 1997, 6:33 PM CDT (23:33 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 1997, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
57 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 23:34 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 3, 3:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Norman, OK at 12:00Z on 1997-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1487 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 12:00Z on 1997-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1487 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-169 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
989 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-16 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 032333 RRA
SVRTUL
OKC113-040030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
633 PM CDT THU JUL 3 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...NORTHERN OSAGE COUNTY
 
AT 630 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 3 MILES
NORTHEAST OF GRAINOLA. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN
HOUR.
 
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE WARNED AREA.
 
DURING THE STORM MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LIGHTNING DO NOT USE TH,E TELEPHONE
OR HAND HELD ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES...UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.
MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR WATER ON ROADWAYS AND NEVER
DRIVE ONTO A FLOODED ROAD.
 
KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS.

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 Jul 3, 2:12 PM CDT, 4 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 2:12 PM CDT, 4 hours 21 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
210 PM CDT THU JUL 3 1997

18Z SURFACE MAP SHOWS LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS WITH A BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM EAST CENTRAL KANSAS INTO THE
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.  ETA AND NGM IN FAIR AGREEMENT THAT THAT THE
LOW WILL MOVE EAST AND PHASE WITH THE FRONT AS FRONT PUSHES
SOUTHEAST IN RESPONSE TO CENTRAL PLAINS SHORTWAVE.  HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA FOR TOMORROW AND SATURDAY BRINGING DRY
WEATHER AND SEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES.  THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP ALONG BOUNDARY IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT PROGRESSES.  SOME SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE
AS WINDS FIELDS WILL BE RELATIVELY STRONG FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR AND
LARGE CAPE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE.  MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BUT PER SPC OUTLOOK WIND FIELD MAY SUPPORT
ISOLATED SUPERCELLS.  WILL GO LESSER CHANCES AND LEAVE OUT MENTION
FOR SEVERE FOR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS
DYNAMICS WILL BE WELL TO THE NORTH...THE FRONT WILL ARRIVE WELL
AFTER DARK AND CAP MAY BE STRONGER.  GOING FORECAST HANDLES THE
SITUATION WELL AND PROBABLY WILL NOT MAKE MANY CHANGES.  FWC
NUMBERS LOOK REASONABLE AND PROBABLY WILL ONLY TWEAK SLIGHTLY.

TUL 065/085 063/087 064 5000
FSM 070/086 063/087 064 3000
MLC 070/086 063/088 065 3000
BVO 063/084 061/086 062 5000
FYV 065/081 056/082 059 5000
IDB 073/088 065/088 066 2200
BYV 065/080 055/082 058 5000

.TUL...
OK...NONE.
AR...NONE.

ABBAS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 3, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-041200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT THU JUL 3 1997

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT OVER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40...

AT 100 PM...A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER
SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE LOW INTO THE
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES.  MEANWHILE...A WARM FRONT EXTENDED
EAST FROM THE LOW THROUGH SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST MISSOURI.
WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE AND TEMPERATURES IN THE
90S...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAINED CAPPED THROUGH MUCH OF THE
AFTERNOON PROHIBITING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  HOWEVER...THE
COMBINATION OF COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE
FRONT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THE CAP BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY
EVENING.

THE SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON WITH THE COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED ALONG AND NEAR THE
SURFACE LOW AND FRONT OVER SOUTH CENTRAL OR SOUTHEAST KANSAS
BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PM.  THIS ACTIVITY MAY FORM INTO A THUNDERSTORM
COMPLEX AND MOVE WITH THE COLD FRONT INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA EARLY
THIS EVENING...THEN INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA AFTER 9 OR 10 PM.  LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS
WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...HOWEVER THE VERTICAL WIND PROFILES
FORECAST OVER THE AREA WOULD INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ROTATING
STORMS AND POSSIBLY A FEW TORNADOES ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY
EVENING.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD DIMINISH ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER 2 AM AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES
SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...BUT THEY ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS OVER
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER TODAY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Jul 3, 1:02 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-041200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT THU JUL 3 1997

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT OVER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40...

AT 100 PM...A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER
SOUTHWEST KANSAS WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE LOW INTO THE
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES.  MEANWHILE...A WARM FRONT EXTENDED
EAST FROM THE LOW THROUGH SOUTHEAST KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST MISSOURI.
WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE AND TEMPERATURES IN THE
90S...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAINED CAPPED THROUGH MUCH OF THE
AFTERNOON PROHIBITING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  HOWEVER...THE
COMBINATION OF COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE
FRONT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THE CAP BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY
EVENING.

THE SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON WITH THE COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.
INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED ALONG AND NEAR THE
SURFACE LOW AND FRONT OVER SOUTH CENTRAL OR SOUTHEAST KANSAS
BETWEEN 4 AND 6 PM.  THIS ACTIVITY MAY FORM INTO A THUNDERSTORM
COMPLEX AND MOVE WITH THE COLD FRONT INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA EARLY
THIS EVENING...THEN INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA AFTER 9 OR 10 PM.  LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS
WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...HOWEVER THE VERTICAL WIND PROFILES
FORECAST OVER THE AREA WOULD INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR ROTATING
STORMS AND POSSIBLY A FEW TORNADOES ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY
EVENING.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD DIMINISH ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER 2 AM AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES
SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE
SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 MAINLHY AFTER MIDNIGHT...BUT THEY ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS OVER
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER TODAY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT.

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.