Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 97, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1997, 10:13 PM CDT for Crawford County, Sebastian County, Arkansas; LeFlore County, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 47 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
- Apr 20, 1997, 10:13 PM CDT (03:13 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 20, 1997, 11:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 47 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Crawford County, AR, Sebastian County, AR, LeFlore County, OK, Sequoyah County, OK
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 10:18 PM CDT | Hail 0.88 | Short, OK | Severe thunderstorms developed and moved across northeast Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening of April 20th. Quarter size hail fell 3 miles south of Miami, at Wyandotte, 2 miles east of Tullahassee, and 4 miles north of Sallisaw. Nickel to quarter s |
| Apr 20, 10:30 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Alma, AR | Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas during the evening of April 20th. The storms produced 1 brief tornado, as well as damaging winds and large hail. The tornado touched down at 1913CST 2 miles north of Pea Ridge in a rural area, produced no st |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 10:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 189 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
- 320 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -76 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1699 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 224 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 390 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 4.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTUL 210314 RRA SVRTUL ARC033-131-OKC135-079-210400- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1013 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ...CRAWFORD COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS ...SEBASTIAN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ...EASTERN SEQUOYAH COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA ...NORTHERN LE FLORE COUNTY AT 1011 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SHORT...AND ANOTHER WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF SALLISAW. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. MULDROW...FORT SMITH...VAN BUREN...CEDARVILLE AND ARKOMA ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM. 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 Apr 20, 8:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 8:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 855 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 LINE OF STRG/SVR TSRA CONT MVG ACRS ERN PTNS OF FA. THE LINE HAS MVD OUT AHEAD OF THE WND SHIFT WHICH APRS TO BE JUST S AND E OF I-44. LOOKS LIKE MESOETA AND 21Z RUC HV FAIRLY GOOD HANDLE ON SFC FEATURES BUT NOT PRECIP. THUS XPCT TROF TO CONT MVG ACRS ZNS. HV ALREADY ISSUED ONE UPDATE TO ZFP EARLIER. WL PROB HOLD OFF ON NEXT UPDATE FOR ANOTHER HR OR TWO UNTIL TSRA GET A LTL FURTHER E. AT THAT TIME WL ALSO PROB MAKE SOME MINOR ADJS TO MINS AND WNDS AS WELL. 07 .TUL... OK...NONE. AR...NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 7:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
OKZ054>076-ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-211200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 730 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS IS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM JAY TO OKEMAH. SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA UNTIL LATE EVENING. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS EVENING. NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE IN EFFECT AS OF 730 PM ALONG THIS LINE. THE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WAS MOVING INTO THE AREA. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN SEVERE THIS EVENING AS THEY MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. WIND PROFILES ARE A BIT MORE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC STORMS IN CARROLL AND MADISON COUNTIES OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. CURRENT RADAR INDICATIONS SUGGEST A WEAKNESS IN THE THUNDERSTORM LINE THAT IS APPROACHING EXTREME NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BUT SHOULD THE STORMS IN THIS PORTION OF THE LINE INTENSIFY...THE POTENTIAL WOULD EXIST FOR AN ISOLATED TORNADO IN CARROLL OR MADISON COUNTIES THIS EVENING. THE STORMS SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT AND THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END BY THAT TIME. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND SKYWARN GROUPS IN THE RISK AREA SHOULD ALREADY BE ACTIVATED.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 8:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
OKZ068-070-210215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 838 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEAST MUSKOGEE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED... AT 835 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COOKSON IN SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY. MOVMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE COOKSON AREA AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TENKILLER LAKE AREA. DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MILES AN HOUR REMAIN POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 8:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
OKZ068-070-210215- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 838 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEAST MUSKOGEE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED... AT 835 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COOKSON IN SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY. MOVMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE fCOOKSON AREA AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TENKILLER LAKE AREA. DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MILES AN HOUR REMAIN POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
Local storm report, Apr 20, 9:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
907 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0840 PM COOKSON OK .88 INCH HAIL
04/20/97 CHEROKEE
0858 PM 2 E BEAVER AR 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/20/97 CARROLLLocal storm report, Apr 20, 9:56 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
956 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0655 PM 4 N WAGONER OK .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/97 WAGONERLocal storm report, Apr 20, 9:57 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
956 PM CDT SUN APR 20 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0655 PM 4 N WAGONER OK .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/97 WAGONERThe office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Benton | 47 min |
| Apr 20, 8:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Benton | 34 min |
| Apr 20, 8:31 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Carroll | 29 min |
| Apr 20, 8:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Carroll | 47 min |
| Apr 20, 9:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Madison | 39 min |
| Apr 20, 9:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Carroll | 30 min |
| Apr 20, 10:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Madison | 40 min |
| Apr 20, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Cherokee | 59 min |
| Apr 20, 7:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | McIntosh | 51 min |
| Apr 20, 7:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Muskogee | 49 min |
| Apr 20, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | McIntosh | 30 min |
| Apr 20, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Cherokee, Muskogee | 47 min |
| Apr 20, 8:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sequoyah | 51 min |
| Apr 20, 9:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Muskogee | 34 min |
| Apr 20, 9:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sequoyah | 36 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 1997Severe 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.