Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 79, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1997, 5:26 PM CDT for Craig County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 49 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
- Apr 20, 1997, 5:26 PM CDT (22:26 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 20, 1997, 6:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 49 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 22:25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 5:38 PM CDT | Hail 0.88 | Welch, 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
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2121 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 112 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTUL 202226 RRA SVRTUL OKC035-202315- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 526 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA ...NORTHERN CRAIG COUNTY AT 525 PM...RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WELCH MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. WELCH AND BLUEJACKET AR IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAfN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. 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 Apr 20, 3:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 3:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
335 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997
SFC LO CONTG TO DEEPEN THRU THE AFTN AND LTCD JUST NW EMP KS AT 20Z.
SFC FNT/TROF EXTNDG FRM LO DOWN TO OSAGE/PAWNEE CONTIES IN NWRN PART
OF FA...THEN ON TWRD S-CNTL OK. GUSTY SWLY SFC WNDS CONTG OUT AHD
OF BNDRY WITH DEWPTS IN THE 50S. AMS HAS CONTD TO BCM INCRSLY
UNSTBL..BUT MOISTR RMNS SHALLOW. MAIN THREAT OF BIG STMS THIS EVNG
STILL APPEARS TO BE SE KS/SW MO CLOSER TO SFC LO WHICH COULD THEN
AFFECT FAR NE OK AND NW AR. WL CARRY HIGHEST POPS THOSE LCTNS...BUT
WL CONT TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST LO POPS ACRS REMAINDER OF FA AHD OF
ADVANCING FNT/TROF. SFC LO WL CONT TO TRACK TO THE ESE OR SE ENDING
THREAT OF PRECIP MOST AREAS BY LATE EVNG. HWVR SRN PORTION OF FNT
COULD HANG UP OVR SRN ZNS.
THRU REMAINING PDS UNSETTLED WX WL CONT THRU MUCH OF THE WEEK
AS WL RMN BASICALLY IN A RATHER QUICK MOVG NWLY FLOW PTRN. PTRN
WL BE A LTL LESS AMPLIFIED ACRS THE COUNTRY...BUT WL STILL CONT TO
SEE SERIES OF S/WVS MOVG THRU THE PLNS WITH TIMING PBLMS BTWN
VARIOUS MDLS. FOR NOW WL TEND TO BROADBRUSH SLGT CHC/CHC POPS
THRU LATER PDS.
PRELIM NUMBERS: TUL 53/73/51/70 2233 BVO 49/73/48/70 1233
FSM 54/75/50/71 4233 FYV 49/68/47/68 5233
...04... MLC 54/77/51/71 3233 IDB 57/76/50/72 4233
BYV 47/68/45/68 5233
.TUL...
OK...NONE.
AR...NONE.In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
OKZ054>076-ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-211200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THIS RISK OF SEVERE STORMS IS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM MULBERRY ARKANSAS TO TAHLEQUAH TO SOUTH COFFEYVILLE OKLAHOMA. AT NOON A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDED FROM HUNTSVILLE ARKANSAS TO NEAR JOPLIN TO NEAR A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER JUST NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA KANSAS. THE ATMOSPHERE ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THIS FRONT WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FLOWS INTO THE FRONT AND TEMPERATURES RISE TO NEAR 80. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS BETWEEN 3 AND 5PM TODAY AS THE SURFACE LOW TRACKS TOWARD JOPLIN. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. FORECAST WIND PROFILES AND STORM MOTIONS SUGGEST THAT THE STRONGER STORMS MAY BECOME SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND A RISK OF A TORNADO. ONCE DEVELOPED THE STORMS WILL TRAVEL SOUTHEAST NEAR 30 MPH TOWARD SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. THESE STORMS MAY DEVELOP INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DURING THE EVENING. ANY SOUTHWARD SHIFT OF THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND SKYWARN GROUPS IN THE RISK AREA SHOULD BE READY FOR ACTIVATION AFTER 3PM. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END IN THE RISK AREA AFTER 10PM AS TEMPERATURES COOL AND THE MAIN UPPER SUPPORT FOR THE STORMS SHIFTS TO THE EAST. IN ADDITION...A WEAK WIND SHIFT LINE FROM CENTRAL KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AT EARLY AFTERNOON WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE NEXT 18 HOURS. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY AS IT PASSES. LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE SHALLOW AS THIS FEATURE MOVES INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS NOT LIKELY. AS THIS FRONT REACHES WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA TONIGHT THERE IS A SOMEWHAT BETTER CHANCE OF STORM DEVELOPMENT...BUT WEAK INSTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND LACK OF STRONG LIFT ALONG THE FRONT SUGGESTS ANY STORMS THAT MIGHT FORM SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS...HOWEVER EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SKYWARN GROUPS IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 1:04 PM CDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before
OKZ054>076-ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-211200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THIS RISK OF SEVERE STORMS IS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM MULBERRY ARKANSAS TO TAHLEQUAH TO SOUTH COFFEYVILLE OKLAHOMA. AT NOON A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDED FROM HUNTSVILLE ARKANSAS TO NEAR JOPLIN TO NEAR A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTER JUST NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA KANSAS. THE ATMOSPHERE ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THIS FRONT WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FLOWS INTO THE FRONT AND TEMPERATURES RISE TO NEAR 80. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS BETWEEN 3 AND 5PM TODAY AS THE SURFACE LOW TRACKS TOWARD JOPLIN. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. FORECAST WIND PROFILES AND STORM MOTIONS SUGGEST THAT THE STRONGER STORMS MAY BECOME SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND A RISK OF A TORNADO. ONCE DEVELOPED THE STORMS WILL TRAVEL SOUTHEAST NEAR 30 MPH TOWARD SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. THESE STORMS MAY DEVELOP INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DURING THE EVENING. ANY SOUTHWARD SHIFT OF THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND SKYWARN GROUPS IN THE RISK AREA SHOULD BE READY FOR ACTIVATION AFTER 3PM. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END IN THE RISK AREA AFTER 10PM AS TEMPERATURES COOL AND THE MAIN UPPER SUPPORT FOR THE STORMS SHIFTS TO THE EAST. IN ADDITION...A WEAK WIND SHIFT LINE FROM CENTRAL KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AT EARLY AFTERNOON WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE NEXT 18 HOURS. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY AS IT PASSES. LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO BE QUITE SHALLOW AS THIS FEATURE MOVES INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS NOT LIKELY. AS THIS FRONT REACHES WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA TONIGHT THERE IS A SOMEWHAT BETTER CHANCE OF STORM DEVELOPMENT...BUT WEAK INSTABILITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND LACK OF STRONG LIFT ALONG THE FRONT SUGGESTS ANY STORMS THAT MIGHT FORM SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS...HOWEVER EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SKYWARN GROUPS IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL$ ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE UPDATES.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Ottawa | 38 min |
| Apr 20, 6:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Ottawa | 37 min |
| Apr 20, 6:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Okmulgee | 42 min |
| Apr 20, 6:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Muskogee | 45 min |
| Apr 20, 6:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Wagoner | 41 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.