Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 270, NWS Tulsa, OK

July 17, 1997Okmulgee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 17, 1997, 3:16 PM CDT for Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 44 min. 2 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
Jul 17, 1997, 3:16 PM CDT (20:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 17, 1997, 4:00 PM CDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Okmulgee County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 17, 3:35 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Okmulgee, OK
Jul 17, 3:48 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 65Okmulgee, 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 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 138 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 1997-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2057 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 1997-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 73 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
2057 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-115 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1356 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

926 
WUUS1 KTUL 172018 RRA
SVRTUL
OKC111-172100-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
316 PM CDT THU JUL 17 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  400 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...OKMULGEE COUNTY
 
AT 3 13 PM RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED
AROUND THE TOWN OF OKMULGEE. LITTLE IF ANY MOVEMENT WAS INDICATED.
OKMULGEE AND MORRIS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM DURING THE NEXT HALF
HOUR.
 
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE WARNED AREA.
 
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 17, 11:07 AM CDT, 4 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 11:07 AM CDT, 4 hours 9 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1105 AM CDT THU JUL 17 1997

WILL NEED TO ISSUE UPDATE AROUND MIDDAY TO CLEAN UP WORDING IN NE
OK ZONES.  WILL ALSO LIKELY NEED TO KNOCK DOWN TEMPS IN NW ZONES
WHERE RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL.  AREA OF TSRA/SHRA CONTINUES TO
SPIRAL AROUND UPPER-LOW ALONG KS/OK BORDER...AND IS ONLY DRIFTING
VERY SLOWLY EAST AND SOUTH THIS MORNING.  THIS ACTIVITY HAS BEEN
SLOWLY WEAKENING/SHRINKING SO FAR THIS MORNING AND EXPECT THIS
TREND TO CONTINUE.  FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AREA LOOKS GOOD FOR
NOW AS WESTERN PORTIONS OF WATCH AREA HAVE RECEIVED BETWEEN 3 AND
6 INCHES OF RAIN.  ANY ADDITIONAL RAINS IN THIS AREA COULD CAUSE
SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY WITH COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN
UPSTREAM ALREADY DRAINING INTO THIS AREA.  WILL MAKE FINAL DECISION
ON WHETHER TO CONTINUE FFA BASED ON RADAR TRENDS AT TIME OF UPDATE.

AS FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION LATER TODAY...IT APPEARS THAT
BEST CHANCE WILL BE ALONG AND TO THE SOUTH OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
CURRENTLY SLICING THROUGH ERN OK.  AS UPPER-LOW CONTINUES TO DRIFT
SOUTHWARD...WOULD EXPECT WRN ZONES TO HAVE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN.
CURRENT FORECAST HAS GOOD HANdDLE ON THIS SITUATION.

...19...

.TUL...
OK...FFA TODAY ZNS 54/59.
AR...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 17, 10:31 AM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1031 AM CDT THU JUL 17 1997

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

0630 AM    5 SE PONCA CITY           OK   WATER COVERED COUNTY ROAD
07/17/97   OSAGE                          EXTENDING FROM 1/2 MILE
                                          EAST OF HWY 60 SOUTHWARD
                                          TOWARDS ARKANSAS RIVER.
Local storm report, Jul 17, 10:33 AM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1031 AM CDT THU JUL 17 1997

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

0630 AM    5 SE PONCA CITY           OK   WATER COVERED COUNTY ROAD
07/17/97   OSAGE                          EXTENDING FROM 1/2 MILE
                                          EAST OF HWY 60 SOUTHWARD
                                          TOWARDS ARKANSAS RIVER.
Special weather statement, Jul 17, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-181200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT THU JUL 17 1997

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.  ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
POSSIBLE OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WAS LOCATED IN NORTH CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM SHOWED UP AS A SMALL
CIRCULATION CENTER ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...AND CONTINUED TO SUPPORT
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES AT 100
PM. THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTH THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A RAIN-COOLED BOUNDARY...CREATED BY THE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS OSAGE
AND PAWNEE COUNTIES...WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR JAY TO WAGONER TO
OKEMAH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STATIONARY
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

THE BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR THE UPPER LEVEL
SYSTEM AND ALONG THE RAIN-COOLED BOUNDARY. THE AIRMASS WILL BE VERY
UNSTABLE IN MOST AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...AND SOME OF THE STORMS
COULD BE SEVERE.

ALTHOUGH THE EFFECTS OF THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL REMAIN CONFINED
TO EASTERN OKLAHOMA...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MAINLY DURING THE HEAT OF THE
AFTERNOON. THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS WILL DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET...WHILE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD LINGER INTO THE NIGHT OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLOW MOVING...SO IN ADDITION TO THE
THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAIN
WILL BE POSSIBLE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD
MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 17, 4:12 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOsage4 hr
Jul 17, 6:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPawnee53 min
Jul 17, 1:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek44 min
Jul 17, 2:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee50 min
Jul 17, 2:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee47 min
Jul 17, 3:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOkfuskee3 hr
Jul 17, 3:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOsage4 hr
Jul 17, 3:52 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOkmulgee4 hr
Jul 17, 3:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Okmulgee47 min
Jul 17, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg49 min
Jul 17, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage44 min
Jul 17, 5:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage54 min
Jul 17, 6:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage50 min
Jul 17, 6:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPawnee53 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.