Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 359, NWS Tulsa, OK

June 21, 1998Rogers County, Tulsa County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 21, 1998, 2:30 AM CDT for Rogers County, Tulsa County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 60 min. 6 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 21, 1998, 2:30 AM CDT (07:30 UTC)
Expired
Jun 21, 1998, 3:30 AM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

Counties Rogers County, OK, Tulsa County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 20 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:31 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
Jun 21, 2:32 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 61Sand Spgs, OKSpotters estimated winds in Sand Springs of 70 mph. These winds blew down power lines in and north of Sand Springs, especially in the McKinley Hill area.
Jun 21, 2:32 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 83Tulsa, OKWinds measured as high as 96 mph caused extensive damage in downtown Tulsa and throughout a large part of the city. Specific reports follow:- At 232 AM CDT, the NWS received reports of transformers blowing up in north Tulsa. Eventually, 70,000 PSO customers
Jun 21, 2:45 AM CDTThunderstorm WindSperry, OKA shed was blown down near 110th Street N. and 34th West Ave.
Jun 21, 2:50 AM CDTThunderstorm WindCatoosa, OKSeveral trees were blown down.
Jun 21, 2:53 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 53(Tul)Tulsa Intl Arpt, OKA 61 mph gust was measured by ASOS at the Tulsa International Airport (TUL).
Jun 21, 3:05 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 70Broken Arrow, OKLocation: near 91st Street and 193rd East Ave.

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 00:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 186 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 00:00Z on 1998-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2183 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 00:00Z on 1998-06-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 95 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
2183 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-239 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2070 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
95 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
194 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 210730 RRA
SVRTUL
OKC101-107-131-143-145-210830-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
230 AM CDT SUN JUN 21 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  WESTERN MUSKOGEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  OKFUSKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  SOUTHERN ROGERS COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
  TULSA COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
  WAGONER COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 330 AM CDT

* AT 230 AM...STORM SPOTTERS REPORTED AND RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM SKIATOOK TO DOWNTOWN TULSA TO KELLYVILLE
  TO NEAR BRISTOW...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...
  BROKEN ARROW
  CATOOSA
  ONETA
  HASKELL

  HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH CAN BE
  EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA.

BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH.


 X

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 Jun 20, 9:50 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 9:50 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
FPUS3 KTUL 210253
AFDTUL

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
950 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

ZONES HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO ADD CHANCE POPS FOR MOST ZONES AND TO
TWEAK WINDS AND TEMPS.  COLD FRONT HAS FIRED UP OVER SE KANSAS AND
THESE STORMS IF THEY SURVIVE WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD OVER
MUCH OF NE OK AND NW AR BY LATE TONIGHT.  THE STORMS WILL LIKELY
DEVELOP INTO A COMPLEX WHICH WOULD BRING A DECENT CHANCE OF SEVERE
WEATHER TO THE AREA IN THE FORM PRIMARILY OF DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE
WINDS.  THE FRONT AND POSSIBLE PRECIP WILL PLAY HAVOC WITH LOW TEMPS.

...19...

.TUL...
OK...HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES
OKZ049...OKZ053>056...OKZ059>061...OKZ064>067...OKZ070>077.

AR...HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT FOR ZONES
ARZ019>020...ARZ029.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 20, 9:57 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
957 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

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

0855 PM    JENNINGS                  OK   NON TSTM WINDS
06/20/98   PAWNEE                         A DRY MICROBURST OCCURRED
                                          FROM THE REMNANT ANVIL OF
                                          A DISSIPATED THUNDERSTORM.
                                          SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS
                                          WERE BLOWN DOWN.
Local storm report, Jun 20, 10:59 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1059 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

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

1035 PM    BIXBY                     OK   NON TSTM WINDS
06/20/98   TULSA                          A MEASURED WIND GUST TO 61
                                          MPH OCCURRED IN BIXBY.
                                          THIS WIND WAS A DRY
                                          MICROBURST AND RESULTED IN
                                          A 10 DEGREE TEMPERATURE
                                          JUMP TO 95 DEGREES
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 11:21 PM CDT, 3 hours 9 minutes before
OKZ054-059-060-064-066-067-070-210445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1121 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM FOR OSAGE...
PAWNEE...CREEK AND TULSA COUNTIES AND UNTIL 100 AM FOR OKMULGEE...
MUSKOGEE AND WAGONER COUNTIES.

HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE...ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF EARLIER
THUNDERSTORMS...IS CONTRIBUTING TO CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR HEAT
BURSTS.  THESE HEAT BURSTS ARE OCCURRING RANDOMLY ACROSS THE
WARNING AREA AND AFFECTING SMALL AREAS...BUT WHEN THEY OCCUR WINDS
GUST TO AROUND 60 MPH AND THE TEMPERATURE JUMPS WELL INTO THE 90S
AND REACHES NEAR 100 DEGREES AT TIMES.

BETWEEN 1020 AND 1040 PM A HEAT BURST OCCURRED IN SOUTH TULSA COUNTY
WITH WINDS TO 60 MPH REPORTED IN BIXBY...POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN
AT 91ST AND GARNETT IN SOUTHEAST TULSA AND TEMPEATURES NEAR 100
DEGREES REPORTED AT A NUMBER OF SPOTS IN SOUTH TULSA.

CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR HEAT BURSTS IN THE WARNING
AREAS.  THESE WINDS WILL STRIKE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT RAIN OR
LIGHTNING.  DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES MAY OCCUR.

THE GREATEST RISK FOR ADDITIONAL HEAR BURSTS APPEARS TO BE FROM
AROUND BROKEN ARROW TO NEAR COWETA AND HASKELL.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee, Okmulgee62 min
Jun 21, 12:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage66 min
Jun 21, 1:02 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAOsage3 hr
Jun 21, 1:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee52 min
Jun 21, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Tulsa59 min
Jun 21, 2:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee36 min
Jun 21, 2:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee43 min
Jun 21, 2:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee37 min
Jun 21, 2:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMuskogee, Wagoner60 min
Jun 21, 2:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee60 min
Jun 21, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee37 min
Jun 21, 3:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMayes58 min
Jun 21, 3:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACherokee, McIntosh, Muskogee60 min
Jun 21, 3:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAWagoner34 min
Jun 21, 3:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Delaware40 min
Jun 21, 4:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACherokee50 min
Jun 21, 4:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Delaware40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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.