Tornado Watch 255

Issued

May 20, 2001, 3:30 PM CDT (20:30 UTC)

Expired

May 20, 2001, 9:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Norman radar (KTLX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:32 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.

000 
WWUS9 KMKC 201956
SEL5  

SEL5  
MKC WW 201951
OKZ000-210200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 255
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
251 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 2001

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   SOUTHERN AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA                           

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 330 PM UNTIL 900
PM CDT.

 ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
 
DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTH OF OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA TO 25
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF PAGE OKLAHOMA.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 254...

DISCUSSION...ISOLATED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO
DEVELOP IN VICINITY OF OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY NEAR ADH-MLC...AND
ALONG SURFACE CONFLUENCE AXIS NEAR I-35.  STORMS SHOULD SPREAD
EASTWARD ACROSS EASTERN OK DURING THE EVENING.  EXTREMELY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS IS PRESENT WITH CAPE VALUES OVER 4000 J/KG.  COMBINED WITH
FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND INCREASING SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL
WINDS...THREAT WILL EXIST FOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES AS WELL AS
VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. 

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES.Z  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26030.

...HART

;355,0973 360,0942 340,0942 335,0973;

Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2001Every tornado watch in 2001

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.