Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 128, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 18, 2001Creek County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 2001, 4:37 AM CDT for Creek County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 53 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 18, 2001, 4:37 AM CDT (09:37 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 2001, 5:30 AM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Creek County, OK

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 4:43 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52 EMilfay, OK

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, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 106 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 2001-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2992 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 2001-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 57 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2992 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1092 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
95 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KTSA 180937
SVRTUL
OKC037-181030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
437 AM CDT FRI MAY 18 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CREEK COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 530 AM CDT

* AT 437 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
  A LINE EXTENDING FROM 20 MILES WEST OF SHAMROCK TO 16 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF DEPEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...DRUMRIGHT...
  SHAMROCK...DEPEW...SLICK AND BRISTOW.

WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA.

LAT...LON 3597 9686 3563 9657 3565 9617 3613 9626

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 May 18, 2:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 2:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
255 AM CDT FRI MAY 18 2001

FORECAST FOR 1ST PERIOD HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON EVOLUTION OF CURRENT
CONVECTION. 00Z MESO-ETA WEAKENS STORMS ACROSS WESTERN OK AROUND 12Z
QUITE A BIT...BUT LATEST RADAR STILL SHOWS THEM LOOKING PRETTY
TOUGH. AIRMASS ACROSS SE OK IS PRIMED AND HAS NOT BEEN WORKED OVER
AS IT WAS OVER NE OK AND NW AR. COULD SEE ISOLATED SVR STORMS THIS
MORNING...MAINLY WIND GUSTS 60-70 MPH. SHOULD SEE SHRA/TSRA LIKELY
THIS AM THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. IF STORMS FIZZLE BEFORE
ENTERING SE OK...THEN COULD SEE STORMS RE-FIRE THIS AFTERNOON JUST
ABOUT ANYWHERE. BEST CHC WILL BE ACROSS SE OK WHERE OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES AND WEAK FRONT WILL LIKELY BE LOCATED. VERTICAL WIND
PROFILE DECENT BUT NOT IMPRESSIVE IN THE LOW LEVELS. SVR STORMS
SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED.

BY TONIGHT...PRECIP WILL BE LONG GONE AND SOME CLEARING MAY OCCUR.
COULD SEE PATCHY FOG AS WELL AS COOL TEMPS. HAVE SIDED WITH COOLER
FWC AND PREV FCST NUMBERS FOR MINS.

NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RAIN CHCS ON SAT AND SAT NIGHT. OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY WILL BE LONG GONE AND SFC WINDS SHOULD VEER TO SE AHEAD OF
DEVELOPING SFC LOW. BEST STORMS SHOULD REMAIN TO THE WEST. COULD SEE
AN ISOLATED STORM IF STG WARM FRONT DEVELOPS.

MODELS DISAGREE ON STRENGTH OF UPR LOW TO EJECT OUT OF SW US...ETA
BRINGS OUT A POSITIVELY-TILTED S/W WHILE AVN KEEPS WAVE STRONGER AND
INTACT. BEST CHC OF PRECIP THIS WEEKEND WILL DEPEND ON TRACK AND
STRENGTH OF UPR LOW...LOOKS LIKE SUN AND SUN NIGHT WILL BE THE BEST
CHC. WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE POPS UP TO LIKELY FOR SUN AND TAKE OUT
EARLY WORDING.

MONDAY SHOULD BE MOSTLY CLEAR...COOLER AND WINDY AS NICE FROPA
OCCURS. COULD SEE TEMPS NEAR 40 MONDAY NIGHT IN NW AR WITH 40S TO
LOW 50S AREA-WIDE. GRADUAL MODERATION IN TEMPS THROUGH THE EXTENDED
WITH DECREASING DIURNAL RANGES WITH TIME. MODELS HAVE BEEN TOO COOL
LATELY WITH MAX TEMPS...AM LEARY OF KEEPING TEMPS TOO FAR BELOW
CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMS BEYOND MONDAY IN THIS PATTERN.

FCSTID = 26
1ST PERIOD TEMPS AND POPS SUBJECT TO RADICAL CHANGES
TUL   82  63  84  65 /  50  10  20  30
FSM   81  63  85  66 /  50  10  20  20
MLC   84  65  86  68 /  40  10  20  20
BVO   80  60  83  62 /  60  10  20  40
FYV   80  60  82  62 /  60  10  20  30
BYV   80  59  81  61 /  60  10  20  30
MIO   80  60  82  62 /  60  10  20  30
MKO   83  64  85  66 /  50  10  20  30
F10   82  64  84  66 /  50  10  20  30
HHW   85  65  87  69 /  40  10  20  20

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 17, 10:37 PM CDT, 6 hours before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1037 PM CDT THU MAY 17 2001

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

0654 PM    PROCTOR                   OK    1 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   ADAIR                           REPORT FROM PUBLIC.

0654 PM    PROCTOR                   OK    WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01   ADAIR                           TREES DOWN. REPORT FROM
                                           PUBLIC.

0730 PM    CAVE SPGS                 AR    .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   BENTON                          REPORT FROM BENTON
                                           COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

0730 PM    CAVE SPGS                 AR    WIND DAMAGE
05/17/01   BENTON                          2 LARGE TREES DOWN.
                                           REPORT FROM BENTON
                                           COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE.

0858 PM    CLIFTY                    AR    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   MADISON                         REPORT FROM PUBLIC.

0955 PM    TERLTON                   OK    .75 INCH HAIL
05/17/01   PAWNEE                          REPORT FROM SPOTTER.

CLL
Special weather statement, May 18, 3:20 AM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-181100-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
320 AM CDT FRI MAY 18 2001

...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY SOUTH OF I-40
THROUGH 8AM THIS MORNING...MAINLY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WILL SPREAD INTO
EASTERN OKLAHOMA BETWEEN 4 AND 6 AM THIS MORNING. THE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO SLOWLY WEAKEN AS THEY MOVE EAST WITH THE GREATEST CHANCE
FOR SEVERE STORMS SOUTH OF I-40 IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. VERY HEAVY
RAIN HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. NORTH
OF I-40 ISOLATED STORMS MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH LARGE HAIL
THE MAIN THREAT.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 5AM AND 9AM IN SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA.

.DISCUSSION...

THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING WILL BE
STRONG WINDS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE COMPLEX. BOWING LINE
SEGMENTS AND WINDS ALONG THE APEX OF THE LARGE SCALE BOW WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREAT AREAS. THE APEX OF THE BOW LOOKS TO BE HEADED TO THE
EAST SOUTHEAST WHICH WOULD TAKE IT POSSIBLY OVER SOUTHERN PITTSBURG
COUNTY AND INTO CHOCTAW AND PUSHMATAHA COUNTIES AFTER 5AM.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC FRIDAY
AREA 1...PITTSBURG...CHOCTAW...PUSHMATAHA COUNTIES
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...95
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...60

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO DAMAGE
AND/OR GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

.OTHER HAZARDS...
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS SLOW MOVING
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP AND ORGANIZE ACROSS THE AREA.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 12:15 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee3 hr
May 18, 4:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee57 min
May 18, 5:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Okmulgee, Pittsburg53 min
May 18, 5:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPushmataha52 min
May 18, 5:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, Latimer, Muskogee51 min
May 18, 5:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAChoctaw42 min
May 18, 6:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPushmataha46 min
May 18, 6:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 2001Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2001

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.