Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1999
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 5, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 21, 1999, 5:58 PM CST for LeFlore County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 32 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
- Jan 21, 1999, 5:58 PM CST (23:58 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 21, 1999, 6:30 PM CST
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
County LeFlore County, OK
The radar
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 6:09 PM CST | Hail 1.75 | Kennady, OK | |
| Jan 21, 6:15 PM CST | Hail 1.75 | Poteau, OK | Golfball-sized hail caused major damage in Poteau. Many cars had their windshields broken out, their mirrors and antennae knocked off, and some cars were dented so badly that it knocked off paint. The entire police fleet suffered dents. Roof damage on many |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 5:00 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 237 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
- 911 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -51 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 533 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 239 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 287 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 6.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTUL 220000 SVRTUL OKC079-220030- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 558 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHERN LE FLORE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA * UNTIL 630 PM CST * AT 555 PM CST A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FANSHAWE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. * SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... POCOLA... CAMERON...WISTER...HOWE...FANSHAWE AND POTEAU HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS WAS REPORTED NEAR WISTER AT 5 50 PM. GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL AND WINDS TO 60 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LAT..n.LON 3499 9495 3484 9483 3506 9435 3525 9450
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 Jan 21, 4:50 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 4:50 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 450 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999 JUST UPDATED TO ADD MENTION OF SEVERE IN A FEW ZONE GROUPINGS GIVEN THE AREAL EXTENT OF THE NEW TORNADO WATCH BOX. NEW RUN OF THE 21Z RUC SHOWS LIFTED INDICES OF -10 IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AT 06Z. MAY NEED TO UPDATE AGAIN LATER ON TO EXTEND MENTION OF SEVERE INTO LATER TONIGHT. 22 .TUL... OK...NONE. AR...NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 21, 1:00 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-221200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...MAINLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE ARKANSAS TO HUGO OKLAHOMA LINE. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. IN ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM...UNSEASONABLY WARM AND HUMID AIR WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FROM COFFEYVILLE KANSAS TO PAWNEE OKLAHOMA. A DRY LINE ALSO EXTENDED SOUTHWARD FROM THE STATIONARY FRONT FROM NEAR VINITA TO ARDMORE OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE A LITTLE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHILE THE DRYLINE MOVES FAIRLY RAPIDLY EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT AS WELL AS THE DRYLINE MAY PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NORTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND CENTRAL MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MOSTLY NORTH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER A FEW MAY BUILD SOUTHWESTWARD INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA TONIGHT. IF THESE STORMS DEVELOP SOUTH...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. RELATIVELY LOW INSTABILITY IN THIS AREA WILL LIKELY PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. JUST AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE AND STATIONARY FRONT...THERE MAY BE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THE AMOUNT OF LIFT IN THIS AREA IS MUCH WEAKER BUT DUE TO THE HIGHER AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY PRESENT ...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THIS AREA WILL LIKLEY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. THE EXPECTED VERTICAL WIND PROFILE AND AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS GENERALLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE TO HUGO LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOES AT THIS TIME APPEARS TO BE OVER AREAS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST LATER TONIGHT...OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF LOUISIANA AND EXTREME EASTERN TEXAS. THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE EAST OF THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY...TAKING WITH IT ANY CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. RAIN MAY POSSIBLY CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW BEFORE ENDING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS...FLOODING AND WINTER WEATHER. INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TULSA.
Special weather statement, Jan 21, 1:00 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-221200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...MAINLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE ARKANSAS TO HUGO OKLAHOMA LINE. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. IN ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM...UNSEASONABLY WARM AND HUMID AIR WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FROM COFFEYVILLE KANSAS TO PAWNEE OKLAHOMA. A DRY LINE ALSO EXTENDED SOUTHWARD FROM THE STATIONARY FRONT FROM NEAR VINITA TO ARDMORE OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE A LITTLE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHILE THE DRYLINE MOVES FAIRLY RAPIDLY EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT AS WELL AS THE DRYLINE MAY PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NORTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND CENTRAL MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MOSTLY NORTH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER A FEW MAY BUILD SOUTHWESTWARD INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA TONIGHT. IF THESE STORMS DEVELOP SOUTH...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. RELATIVELY LOW INSTABILITY IN THIS AREA WILL LIKELY PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. JUST AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE AND STATIONARY FRONT...THERE MAY BE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THE AMOUNT OF LIFT IN THIS AREA IS MUCH WEAKER BUT DUE TO THE HIGHER AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY PRESENT ...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THIS AREA WILL LIKLEY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. THE EXPECTED VERTICAL WIND PROFILE AND AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS GENERALLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE TO HUGO LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOES AT THIS TIME APPEARS TO BE OVER AREAS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST LATER TONIGHT...OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF LOUISIANA AND EXTREME EASTERN TEXAS. THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE EAST OF THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY...TAKING WITH IT ANY CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. RAIN MAY POSSIBLY CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW BEFORE ENDING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS...FLOODING AND WINTER WEATHER. INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TULSA.
Special weather statement, Jan 21, 1:00 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-221200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT...MAINLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE ARKANSAS TO HUGO OKLAHOMA LINE. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH OKLAHOMA AND ARKANSAS TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. IN ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM...UNSEASONABLY WARM AND HUMID AIR WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT NORTHWARD INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. A STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FROM COFFEYVILLE KANSAS TO PAWNEE OKLAHOMA. A DRY LINE ALSO EXTENDED SOUTHWARD FROM THE STATIONARY FRONT FROM NEAR VINITA TO ARDMORE OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE A LITTLE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WHILE THE DRYLINE MOVES FAIRLY RAPIDLY EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. THE STATIONARY FRONT AS WELL AS THE DRYLINE MAY PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP NORTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND CENTRAL MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MOSTLY NORTH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER A FEW MAY BUILD SOUTHWESTWARD INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA TONIGHT. IF THESE STORMS DEVELOP SOUTH...THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SOME HAIL AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. RELATIVELY LOW INSTABILITY IN THIS AREA WILL LIKELY PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. JUST AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE AND STATIONARY FRONT...THERE MAY BE ENOUGH LIFT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THE AMOUNT OF LIFT IN THIS AREA IS MUCH WEAKER BUT DUE TO THE HIGHER AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY PRESENT ...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THIS AREA WILL LIKLEY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. THE EXPECTED VERTICAL WIND PROFILE AND AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS GENERALLY EAST OF A GRAVETTE TO HUGO LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOES AT THIS TIME APPEARS TO BE OVER AREAS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST LATER TONIGHT...OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF LOUISIANA AND EXTREME EASTERN TEXAS. THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AND MOVE EAST OF THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY...TAKING WITH IT ANY CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. RAIN MAY POSSIBLY CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW BEFORE ENDING LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS OUTLOOK IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS CONCERNING TORNADOES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...HIGH WIND EVENTS...FLOODING AND WINTER WEATHER. INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER HAZARDS CAN BE FOUND IN OTHER PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN TULSA.
Local storm report, Jan 21, 4:42 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
442 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0423 PM STANLEY OK 1 INCH HAIL
01/21/99 PUSHMATAHA REPORTED BY CLAYTON CD
DIRECTORLocal storm report, Jan 21, 5:41 PM CST, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
541 PM CST THU JAN 21 1999
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0529 PM BENGAL OK 1 INCH HAIL
01/21/99 LATIMER REPORTED BY AMATEUR RADIO
SPOTTERThe office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 4:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pushmataha | 33 min |
| Jan 21, 5:22 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Latimer, LeFlore | 38 min |
| Jan 21, 5:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pushmataha | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 1999Every severe thunderstorm 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.