Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 44, NWS Tulsa, OK

June 16, 1997Creek County, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at Jun 16, 1997, 8:39 PM CDT for Creek County, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 51 min. 8 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: Jun 16, 1997, 8:39 PM CDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired: Jun 16, 1997, 9:30 PM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties

Counties Creek County, OK, Okfuskee County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:52 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
Jun 16, 8:55 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Bristow, OK
Jun 16, 8:55 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Welty, OK
Jun 16, 8:55 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Welty, OK
Jun 16, 8:55 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 61	Welty, OK
Jun 16, 9:00 PM CDT	Tornado F0	Mason, OK
Jun 16, 9:15 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Mason, OK
Jun 16, 9:15 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 70	Mason, OK
Jun 16, 9:30 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Okfuskee, 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 16, 4:15 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr
Jun 16, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 108 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 3446 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1173 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 116 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.4
Supercell composite: 6.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 170140 RRA
TORTUL
OKC107-037-170230-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
839 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  930 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
 
   ...NORTHERN OKFUSKEE COUNTY
 
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
 
   ...SOUTHERN CREEK COUNTY
 
AT 838 PM...RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR MICAWBER OR 5 MILES
WEST OF WELTY. WELTY...TUSKEGEE...AND THE TOWN OF OKFUSKEE ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE.
OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.
STAY AWAY FROM OUTSIDE WALLS AND AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND
MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET IN A GROUND DEPRESSION.
 
WATCH FOR SIGNS OF DEVELOPING STORMS.  LARGE HAILSTONES AND UNUSUALLY
LOW SWIRLING CLOUDS ARE MANY TIMES SEEN NEAR DEVELOPING TORNADOES.
STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES OFTEN PRODUCE A LOUD ROARING
SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF STORMS. FREQUENT AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING OCCURS WITH MOST SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
 
KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Jun 16, 3:38 PM CDT, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 3:38 PM CDT, 5 hours 1 minute before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
333 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

LOOKS LIKE ITS GONNA GET VERY BUSY AROUND HERE OVER NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.  SWRN UPR LOW LIFTING OUT...BUT NOT BEFORE GIVING FCSTRS
ACROSS THE REGION A FEW HEADACHES.  MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT IN A
WET OVERNIGHT ON INTO TUESDAY ACROSS THE FCST AREA.  WL ISSUE FLASH
FLOOD WATCH FOR ERN OK/NWRN AR TONIGHT AND WL MENTION POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE TSRA MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE ZONES.

90 KT UPR JETMAX WL CONTINUE MOVG OUT OF SERN QUAD OF FILLING UPR
CIRCULATION...MOVG ACRS FCST AREA OVERNIGHT.  FAVORABLE RR QUAD OF
UPR JET POSND SUCH THAT SRN 2/3 OF FCST AREA EXPECTED TO SEE HEAVY
RAINFALL THRU 12Z.  HOWEVER...RAINS FROM LAST NIGHT SATURATED THE
GROUND ACRS NRN FCST AREA...SUCH THAT NWRN ZONE FLASH FLOOD
GUIDANCES ARE NOW VERY LOW.  WL THEREFORE PUT FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN
EFFECT FOR EVERYBODY.

AS FAR AS OTHER SVR POTNL...EXTREME INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH
MODERATELY STRONG UPR DYNAMICS AND FVBL MID LVL WNDS SUGGEST POTNL
OF NMRS SVR TSTMS LATE THIS AFTN AND INTO THE EVENING HRS.  WINDS
MAY GET BACKED JUST ENOUGH NEAR THE SFC BNDRY POSND FROM SPS TO BVO
TO SUGGEST THAT HELICITIES MAY FAVOR TORNADIC TENDENCIES WITH SOME
CELLS.  WL MENTION POTNL OF SVR ALL ZONES TONIGHT.  BUSY LATE AFTN
AND NIGHT IN STORE ON THE RADAR.

WL KEEP LIKELY POPS IN THRU TOMORROW AS SFC BNDRY AND REFLECTION
SLOWLY INCHES EWD AND UPR DYNAMICS MOVE OUT TO E.   POPS MORE
FAVORED THRU MID DAY ERN OK AND THRU EARLY AFTN WRN AR.  WL LEAVE
IN A CHC POP FAR SERN ZONES TUE NIGHT FOR LINGERING BNDRY AND LLVL
MSTR...BUT MAINLY FOR EARLY.

TEMPWISE...WL JUST ADJUST FWC GUIDANCES FOR LOCAL TRENDS AND FOR
CLOUDCOVER TOMORROW.  OTHER THAN THAT...GENLY ACCEPTED.

IN THE EXTENDED...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCES SUGGESTING THAT WE WILL BE
TRENDING BACK INTO A MORE SUMMERLIKE PATTERN AFTER TUE.  HIGHS WL
MOVE INTO LWR 90S WITH AMPLE DRY RIDGING IN PLACE TO SUGGEST WARM
AND SUNNY DAYS...CLEAR COOL NIGHTS.

COORD WITH NWSFO OUN...NWSFO LIT...NWSO SHV.  THANKS.   /14

PRELIM NUMBERS...

TUL 68/83/64/88 87-0    FYV 66/79/60/85 972-
FSM 69/83/65/90 972-    IDB 70/85/65/88 973-
ML"C 70/84/65/91 972-    BYV 66/79/60/85 972-
BVO 68/83/64/88 77-0

.TUL...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT ZONES 054>077.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT ZONES 001/002/010/011/019/029.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:50 PM CDT, 3 hours 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
450 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0705 PM    HARTFORD                  AR   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   SEBASTIAN                      AT LEAST ONE TREE AND SEVERAL
                                          TREE LIMBS DOWN NEAR HARTFORD

0900 PM    5 W NOWATA                OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   NOWATA                         SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          BLOWN DOWN                                         DOWN

0905 PM    10 N TALALA               OK   WIND DAMAGE
06/16/97   ROGERS |                        TREE BLOWN OVER INTO TRAILER

Local storm report, Jun 16, 5:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
525 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0700 PM    WHITEFIELD                OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
06/16/97   HASKELL                        WIND UP TO 60 MPH AROUND
                                          700 TO 715 PM...POWER
                                          OUTAGE

Local storm report, Jun 16, 5:35 PM CDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
535 PM CDT TUE JUN 17 1997

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

0855 PM 2   8 S BRISTOW               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
06/16/97   CREEK

Local storm report, Jun 16, 8:00 PM CDT, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
800 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

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

0745 PM    7 SW BURBANK              OK   62 MPH TSTM GUST
06/16/97   OSAGE                          MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET STATION

Local storm report, Jun 16, 8:04 PM CDT, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
800 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

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

0745 PM    7 SW BURBANK              OK   62 MPH TSTM GUST
06/16/97   OSAGE                          MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET STATION

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 16, 7:09 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Haskell, LeFlore	2 hr
Jun 16, 7:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	60 min
Jun 16, 7:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	57 min
Jun 16, 7:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sequoyah	54 min
Jun 16, 7:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	LeFlore	45 min
Jun 16, 8:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage	65 min
Jun 16, 8:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Latimer, Pittsburg	43 min
Jun 16, 8:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata, Rogers, Washington	64 min
Jun 16, 8:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek	45 min
Jun 16, 8:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	52 min
Jun 16, 8:44 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	2 hr
Jun 16, 8:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore	109 min
Jun 16, 8:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	46 min
Jun 16, 9:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Okmulgee	50 min
Jun 16, 9:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	41 min
Jun 16, 9:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Nowata, Washington	52 min
Jun 16, 9:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	McIntosh	48 min
Jun 16, 9:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pittsburg	61 min
Jun 16, 9:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Muskogee	44 min
Jun 16, 9:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	41 min
Jun 16, 9:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Okfuskee	40 min
Jun 16, 10:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Wagoner	59 min
Jun 16, 10:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburg	4 hr
Jun 16, 10:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Latimer, LeFlore	4 hr
Jun 16, 10:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	McIntosh	48 min
Jun 16, 10:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair, Cherokee	62 min
Jun 16, 11:36 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Cherokee	2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1997 Every tornado warning in 1997 Tornadoes 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.