Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 232, NWS Tulsa, OK

July 3, 1997Craig County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 3, 1997, 9:13 PM CDT for Craig County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 32 min. 1 report 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
Jul 3, 1997, 9:13 PM CDT (02:13 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 1997, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Craig County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:15 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 3, 9:37 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 65Ketchum, 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
Jul 3, 9:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 126 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 00:00Z on 1997-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3487 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 1997-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 38 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
3487 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1249 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
38 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
136 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
7.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 040212 RRA
SVRTUL
OKC035-040245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
913 PM CDT THU JUL 3 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...SOUTHEASTERN CRAIG COUNTY
 
AT 910 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF
BLUEJACKET. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS STORM WILL CROSS I-44 BETWEEN VINITA AND THE OTTAWA COUNTY LINE.
 
 
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS 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 THE 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, 7 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 2:12 PM CDT, 7 hours 1 minute 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

Local storm report, Jul 3, 8:57 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
857 PM CDT THU JUL 03 1997

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

0728 PM    2 N WELCH                 OK   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   CRAIG                          DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY SPOTTERS

0731 PM    WANN                      OK   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/03/97   NOWATA                         REPORTED BY WANN PD

0731 PM    WANN                      OK   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   NOWATA                         NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY WANN PD

0734 PM    2 N WANN                  OK   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   WASHINGTON                     NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY WASHINGTON COUNTY EOC

0749 PM    5 W BARTLESVILLE          OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   OSAGE                          QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0800 PM    BARTLESVILLE              OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   WASHINGTON                     QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0825 PM    5 NW NOWATA               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   NOWATA                         DINE SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY SPOTTERS

0827 PM    PAWHUSKA                  OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   OSAGE                          DIME TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0835 PM    12 NW VINITA              OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   CRAIG                          GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS
Local storm report, Jul 3, 9:01 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
857 PM CDT THU JUL 03 1997

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

0728 PM    2 N WELCH                 OK   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   CRAIG                          DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY SPOTTERS

0731 PM    WANN                      OK   60 MPH TSTM GUST
07/03/97   NOWATA                         REPORTED BY WANN PD

0731 PM    WANN                      OK   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   NOWATA                         NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY WANN PD

0734 PM    2 N WANN                  OK   .88 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   WASHINGTON                     NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY WASHINGTON COUNTY EOC

0749 PM    5 W BARTLESVILLE          OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   OSAGE                          QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0800 PM    BARTLESVILLE              OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   WASHINGTON                     QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

0825 PM    5 NW NOWATA               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   NOWATA                         DINE SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          BY SPOTTERS

0827 PM    PAWHUSKA                  OK   1 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   OSAGE                          DIME TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPVOTTERS

0835 PM    12 NW VINITA              OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/03/97   CRAIG                          GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTERS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 3, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig, Ottawa56 min
Jul 3, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata, Washington66 min
Jul 3, 7:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage62 min
Jul 3, 7:53 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAWashington37 min
Jul 3, 8:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPawnee66 min
Jul 3, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig, Nowata64 min
Jul 3, 8:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage64 min
Jul 3, 9:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSADelaware, Ottawa69 min
Jul 3, 10:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Tulsa53 min
Jul 3, 10:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek57 min
Jul 3, 11:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa32 min
Jul 3, 11:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa26 min
Jul 3, 11:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa22 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.