Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 1999
Tornado Warning 73, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 22, 1999, 3:00 PM CDT for Osage County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from 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, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 22, 1999, 3:00 PM CDT (20:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 1999, 3:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 30 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
County Osage County, OK
The radar
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 3:23 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Wynona, OK | There were reports of golfball-sized hail in Wynona at 323 and 328 PM CDT. There was another report of nickel-sized hail 2 miles southeast of Wynona at 330 PM CDT. |
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 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 181 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
- 1999 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -57 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 912 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 78 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 96 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
999 WFUS54 KTSA 222003 RRA TORTUL OKC113-222030- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 300 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL OSAGE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA * UNTIL 330 PM CDT * AT 300 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION 8 MILES WEST OF WYNONA MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH...THIS DANGEROUS STORM COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. * SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... WYNONA IS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW IF NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. GO TO A SAFE PLACE NOW LAT...LON 3676 9662 3658 9667 3647 9621 3671 9615
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 May 22, 2:35 PM CDT, 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 2:35 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 235 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 1999 NO DISCUSSION WILL BE WRITTEN THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER. FCSTID = 11 .TUL... AR...NONE. OK...NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-231100- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 1999 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH THE THREAT REACHING PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS NEAR DAYBREAK SUNDAY. THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. .SYNOPSIS... A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IN KANSAS EARLY THIS MORNING DISSIPATED. HOWEVER...IT HAS LEFT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WHICH EXTENDED INTO EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO KANSAS TONIGHT BUT WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA UNTIL SUNDAY. .DISCUSSION... A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY PULSE TO SEVERE LIMITS...BUT NO ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED IN THE EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN RAIN-FREE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT IN SOUTHERN NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE INTO A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM THIS EVENING AND MOVE SOUTH SOUTHEAST ACROSS KANSAS INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST REACHING SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AROUND SUNRISE SUNDAY. A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE STORMS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. VERY FAVORABLE WIND PROFILES WILL ALLOW SOME OF THE STORMS TO REMAIN SEVERE THROUGH THE NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. DAMAGING WINDS WILL LIKELY BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ALTHOUGH THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH A FEW OF THE STORMS. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS IN OSAGE COUNTY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER SHOULD MONITOR THE PULSE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX AS IT MOVES SOUTH SOUTHEASTWARD THIS EVENING. ACTIVATION MAY WELL BE NECESSARY AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
Special weather statement, May 22, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-231100- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 1999 A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH THE THREAT REACHING PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS NEAR DAYBREAK SUNDAY. THROUGH 6 AM SUNDAY...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED TO AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. .SYNOPSIS... A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IN KANSAS EARLY THIS MORNING DISSIPATED. HOWEVER...IT HAS LEFT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WHICH EXTENDED INTO EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO KANSAS TONIGHT BUT WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA UNTIL SUNDAY. .DISCUSSION... A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE VICINITY OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY PULSE TO SEVERE LIMITS...BUT NO ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED IN THE EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN RAIN-FREE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT IN SOUTHERN NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE INTO A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM THIS EVENING AND MOVE SOUTH SOUTHEAST ACROSS KANSAS INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST REACHING SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AROUND SUNRISE SUNDAY. A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE STORMS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. VERY FAVORABLE WIND PROFILES WILL ALLOW SOME OF THE STORMS TO REMAIN SEVERE THROUGH THE NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. DAMAGING WINDS WILL LIKELY BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ALTHOUGH THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH A FEW OF THE STORMS. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS IN OSAGE COUNTY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER SHOULD MONITOR THE PULSE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX AS IT MOVES SOUTH SOUTHEASTWARD THIS EVENING. ACTIVATION MAY WELL BE NECESSARY AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 1:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 52 min |
| May 22, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 39 min |
| May 22, 2:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 66 min |
| May 22, 3:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Creek | 38 min |
| May 22, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Craig, Delaware | 51 min |
| May 22, 3:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Osage | 33 min |
| May 22, 3:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 47 min |
| May 22, 3:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Adair | 62 min |
| May 22, 3:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Creek | 54 min |
| May 22, 3:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pawnee | 51 min |
| May 22, 3:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 50 min |
| May 22, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 50 min |
| May 22, 4:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Adair | 66 min |
| May 22, 4:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 49 min |
| May 22, 4:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pawnee | 43 min |
| May 22, 5:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 46 min |
| May 22, 5:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage, Washington | 40 min |
| May 22, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pawnee | 48 min |
| May 22, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Rogers | 43 min |
| May 22, 5:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 53 min |
| May 22, 5:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 50 min |
| May 22, 6:01 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 3 hr |
| May 22, 6:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Creek | 41 min |
| May 22, 6:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Delaware | 45 min |
| May 22, 6:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Okmulgee | 42 min |
| May 22, 6:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Cherokee, Mayes | 53 min |
| May 22, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Creek, Tulsa | 46 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes 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.