Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 19, NWS Tulsa, OK

April 24, 1999Latimer County, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at Apr 24, 1999, 3:27 PM CDT for Latimer County, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Apr 24, 1999, 3:27 PM CDT (20:27 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 1999, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Latimer County, OK, Pittsburg County, OK

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:12 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 170 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 1999-04-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 17 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1999-04-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 132 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
17 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
372 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
132 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
6.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTSA 242033
FFWTUL
OKC077-121-242330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
327 PM CDT SAT APR 24 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
  NORTHERN LATIMER COUNTY IN OKLAHOMA
  PITTSBURG COUNTY IN OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 327 PM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WERE
  ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM JUST NORTH OF RED OAK TO TO 3 MILES 
  SOUTH OF CROWDER TO 16 MILES WEST OF SCIPIO..MOVING EAST NORTHEAST 
  AT 20 MPH.

RADAR DATA AND OKLAHOMA MESONET REPORTS SHOW THAT WIDESPREAD 
RAINFALL OF 3 TO 5 INCHES HAS OCCURRED IN WESTERN PITTSBURG COUNTY 
WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER EASTERN PITTSBURG COUNTY AND NORTHWEST 
LATIMER COUNTY.

THE CONTINUED HEAVY RAINFALL IS CAUSING FLASHING FLOODING.  AT 
312 PM THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTED HIGHWAY 31 WEST OF 
MCALESTER CLOSED AND HIGHWAY 270 NEAR MCALESTER CLOSED.

CANADIAN...INDIANOLA...CROWDER...BLOCKER...SCIPIO...KREBS...HAYWOOD 
AND MCALESTER AND ADJACENT COMMUNITIES MAY BE AFFECTED BY FLASH 
FLOODING.

LAT...LON 3497 9494 3487 9599 3486 9608 3500 9608
          3508 9604 3524 9560 3506 9531 3506 9493

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Apr 24, 4:02 AM CDT, 11 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 4:02 AM CDT, 11 hours 25 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
402 AM CDT SAT APR 24 1999

PROBLEM(S) OF THE DAY:
TEMPERATURES
POPS
WILL THERE BE CONVECTION?

OBSERVATIONS INDICATE A VERY GOOD BAROCLINIC ZONE ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA WITH A STATIONARY SURFACE FRONT ALONG THE FAR
SOUTHEASTERN EDGE OF OKLAHOMA. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH LIFT ASSOCIATED
WITH A PROCESSION OF RELATIVELY WEAK VORTICITY CENTERS FORECAST TO
MOVE NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA...TO PRODUCE AT LEAST A 50/50
CHANCE OF RAIN AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO ACROSS THE ENTIRE
AREA PERIODICALLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND INTO THE TONIGHT PERIOD.
LATE TONIGHT THE NGM...ETA AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THE AVN INDICATE A
STRONGER VORTICITY CENTER SWEEPING JUST INTO THE WESTERN ZONES BY
12Z. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE AND
ELEVATED CONVECTION SHOULD RESULT. THEREFORE...WILL GO WITH LIKELY
POPS FROM KBVO TO KMLC AND KEEP 50 POPS EVERYWHERE ELSE FOR REASONS
DISCUSSED ABOVE.

TEMPERATURES WILL DEPEND GREATLY ON HOW FAR SOUTH THE LOW CLOUDS
STAY THROUGH THE DAY. THE ETA LOW-LEVEL RH PROGS INDICATE THAT THE
LOW CLOUDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS ALL BUT FAR SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND POSSIBLY WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. PERSISTENCE OF DIURNAL
RANGES LOOKS TO BE A GOOD FORECAST FOR TODAYS TEMPERATURES.
THEREFORE...LOOK FOR HIGHS NOT TO REACH 60 AGAIN TODAY ACROSS
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WITH IDB AGAIN POSSIBLY REACHING INTO THE 80S.
LOWS TONIGHT WILL ONCE AGAIN REFLECT A TINY DIURNAL RANGE WITH
PLENTY OF EXPECTED CLOUD COVER AND A PERSISTENT EASTERLY BREEZE.
TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST TWO PERIODS ARE GENERALLY LOWER THAN
MOS...EXCEPT FOR KFSM AND KIDB.

ELEVATED CONVECTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED STRONGER
SHORT-WAVE TROUGH WILL SWEEP NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS MOST OF EASTERN
BY MIDDAY SUNDAY...BUT MAY LINGER ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF
OKLAHOMA AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS WELL INTO THE
AFTERNOON.  TO DEAL WITH THIS...LIKELY POPS WILL BE FORECAST FOR ALL
BUT EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...WHERE GOOD CHANCE POPS SHOULD BE
SUFFICIENT.  THE AREA SHOULD SEE A BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION LATE
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING...BEFORE THE MAIN SHORT-WAVE TROUGH SWEEPS
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA.  THE AVN INDICATES AN IMPRESSIVE DRY PUNCH
WRAPPING INTO THIS SYSTEM...SO THERE MAY BE AN ABRUPT END TO THE
PRECIPITATION CHANCES FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA
EITHER LATE SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY.  LIKELY POPS WILL BE
EXTENDED THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH JUST 20S AND 30S FOR EARLY ON
MONDAY.

WITH SURFACE WINDS TURNING AROUND TO THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH SUNDAY
AND SUNDAY NIGHT THERE SHOULD BE A MODEST WARMING TREND...BUT SMALL
DIURNAL RANGES WILL STILL BE THE RULE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.  LOOK FOR
GOOD WARM UP BEHIND THE SYSTEM ON MONDAY WHEN WEST SOUTHWESTERLY
LOW-LEVEL FLOW SHOULD RESULT IN TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN APPROACHING
80 DEGREES IN SOME AREAS.  UPPED HIGHS IN EXTENDED PERIODS TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH WARMUP ON MONDAY.  NO OTHER CHANGES WERE MADE TO
THE EXTENDED FORECAST.

FCSTID = 19
TUL   59  54  66  60 /  50  70  70  70
FSM   73  64  74  61 /  50  50  70  60
MLC   65  57  75  62 /  50  70  70  60
BVO   57  51  65  58 /  50  70  70  70
FYV   67  58  69  60 /  50  50  70  70
IDB   82  69  84  70 /  50  50  50  50
BYV   67  58  69  60 /  50  50  70  70
MIO   62  55  66  59 /  50  50  70  70
MKO   59  54  66  60 /  50  70  70  70
F10   59  54  66  60 /  50  70  70  70
HHW   82  69  84  70 /  50  50  50  50

.TUL...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

--------------------
EXPERIMENTAL OUTPUT:

HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS:  NONE
NGM fCONFIDENCE:  6 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
ETA CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
AVN CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
FCST CONFIDENCE: 8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 24, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-251100-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT APR 24 1999

...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND WESTCENTRAL ARKANSAS...
...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER MIDNIGHT...
...MORE SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...

.SYNOPSIS...
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHERN
ARKANSAS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA TO CENTRAL TEXAS. SOUTH
OF THE FRONT...VERY HIGH AMOUNTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WERE PRESENT.
NORTH OF THE FRONT...SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WERE LIFTING THE WARM HUMID
AIRMASS UP AND OVER THE COOLER AIR...ALLOWING FOR THE FORMATION OF
THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...SOME OF THEM SEVERE WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND
DISSIPATE BY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...SOME OF WHICH COULD BE SEVERE WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OUT OF
THE WESTERN U.S. SUNDAY...SEVERE WEATHER IS AGAIN EXPECTED SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

.DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PERSISTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA SINCE EARLY THIS
MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AND SOME FLOODING
THIS AFTERNOON. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE UP TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL
ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN PITTSBURG COUNTY WITH OTHER BANDS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES
ACROSS LATIMER...HASKELL...LE FLORE...SEBASTIAN AND SOUTHERN FRANKLIN
COUNTIES. THE PERSISTENT STORMS HAVE STABILIZED THE ATMOSPHERE SOMEWHAT
SO STORMS THIS AFTERNOON ARE NOT LIKELY TO PRODUCE HAIL OR DAMAGING
WINDS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE BY EARLY EVENING.

LATER TONIGHT...SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL INCREASE AND BRING MOISTURE
INTO THE AREA AGAIN. ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE WITH CAPE VALUES
NEAR 1500 J/KG EXPECTED USING PARCELS LIFTED FROM 5000 FEET. THERE WILL
BE A THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER
AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THE PRIMARY THREATS.

ANOTHER ROUND OF MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE STORMS WILL BE LIKELY LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY NIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE WILL LIFT OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. EXPECTED INSTABILITY
AND VERTICAL WIND PROFILES INDICATE THAT SUPERCELL STORMS CAN BE
EXPECTED SUNDAY EVENING.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT HOWEVER...SPOTTERS
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT.
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 1:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-251100-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT APR 24 1999

...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND WESTCENTRAL ARKANSAS...
...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER MIDNIGHT...
...MORE SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...

.SYNOPSIS...
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHERN
ARKANSAS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA TO CENTRAL TEXAS. SOUTH
OF THE FRONT...VERY HIGH AMOUNTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WERE PRESENT.
NORTH OF THE FRONT...SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WERE LIFTING THE WARM HUMID
AIRMASS UP AND OVER THE COOLER AIR...ALLOWING FOR THE FORMATION OF
THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...SOME OF THEM SEVERE WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND
DISSIPATE BY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...REDEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...SOME OF WHICH COULD BE SEVERE WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OUT OF
THE WESTERN U.S. SUNDAY...SEVERE WEATHER IS AGAIN EXPECTED SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...MOVING FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

.DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PERSISTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA SINCE EARLY THIS
MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AND SOME FLOODING
THIS AFTERNOON. RADAR ESTIMATES INDICATE UP TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL
ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN PITTSBURG COUNTY WITH OTHER BANDS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES
ACROSS LATIMER...HASKELL...LE FLORE...SEBASTIAN AND SOUTHERN FRANKLIN
COUNTIES. THE PERSISTENT STORMS HAVE STABILIZED THE ATMOSPHERE SOMEWHAT
SO STORMS THIS AFTERNOON ARE NOT LIKELY TO PRODUCE HAIL OR DAMAGING
WINDS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE BY EARLY EVENING.

LATER TONIGHT...SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL INCREASE AND BRING MOISTURE
INTO THE AREA AGAIN. ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE WITH CAPE VALUES
NEAR 1500 J/KG EXPECTED USING PARCELS LIFTED FROM 5000 FEET. THERE WILL
BE A THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER
AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL THE PRIMARY THREATS.

ANOTHER ROUND OF MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE STORMS WILL BE LIKELY LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY NIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE WILL LIFT OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN U.S. EXPECTED INSTABILITY
AND VERTICAL WIND PROFILES INDICATE THAT SUPERCELL STORMS CAN BE
EXPECTED SUNDAY EVENING.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT HOWEVER...SPOTTERS
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 6:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg40 min
Apr 24, 7:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, LeFlore51 min
Apr 24, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg61 min
Apr 24, 7:33 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAPittsburg117 min
Apr 24, 8:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, LeFlore36 min
Apr 24, 8:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg47 min
Apr 24, 8:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore63 min
Apr 24, 8:52 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAHaskell, LeFlore3 hr
Apr 24, 9:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALatimer, Pushmataha58 min
Apr 24, 10:36 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALatimer, Pittsburg, Pushmataha3 hr
Apr 24, 11:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore, Pushmataha47 min
Apr 24, 11:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALeFlore118 min
Apr 24, 1:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSALatimer, Pittsburg2 hr
Apr 24, 1:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALatimer50 min
Apr 24, 2:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, Latimer31 min
Apr 24, 5:40 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAMcIntosh3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.