Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 421, NWS Norman, OK

August 27, 2002Cleveland County, McClain County, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 27, 2002, 2:49 AM CDT for Cleveland County, McClain County, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 41 min. 8 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
Aug 27, 2002, 2:49 AM CDT (07:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 27, 2002, 3:30 AM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Cleveland County, OK, McClain County, OK, Oklahoma County, OK

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:51 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 27, 3:13 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 61 EOklahoma City, OKWind was estimated near the corner of SW 89th and Pennsylvania.
Aug 27, 3:18 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 57 EMoore, OK
Aug 27, 3:25 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 69 ENorman, OKpower lines were downed.
Aug 27, 3:25 AM CDTThunderstorm WindGoldsby, OKFour to six inch diameter tree limbs were downed.
Aug 27, 3:27 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 63 MNorman, OKWind was measured at the Storm Prediction Center.
Aug 27, 3:29 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 58 MNorman, OKWind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.
Aug 27, 3:30 AM CDTThunderstorm WindNorman, OKThree to four trees were downed near Max Westheimer Airport.
Aug 27, 3:30 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52 ELake Hefner, 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 27, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 4 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 2002-08-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1167 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 2002-08-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -41 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1167 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-149 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1993 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 26, 9:27 PM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 9:27 PM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
927 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

MCS CURRENTLY MOVING SEWD THROUGH SWRN KS THIS EVENING.EXPECT
COMPLEX TO CONTINUING PROPAGATING SSEWD INTO INSTAB AXIS WHICH
EXTENDS FROM PANHANDLE INTO WRN OK. GOING FCST HAD THIS SCENARIO
PRETTY WELL IN HAND WITH LIKELY POPS IN THE WESTERNMOST ZONES THEN
TAPERING OFF TO THE EAST. WILL JUST MAKE SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS TO
POPS AND TMPS IN THE FIRST PD...OTRW NO CHANGES EXPECTED.

02

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
327 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2002

STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED QUICKLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SW NEBRASKA
AND NORTHWEST KANSAS AND THIS IS PROBABLY BEGINNING OF
COMPLEX THAT WILL AFFECT MAINLY WESTERN PARTS OF CWA LATER
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.  EXPECT AS LF OF UPPER JET OVER SW
US MOVES TOWARD HIGH PLAINS THIS EVENING/TONIGHT AND LLJ INCREASES
WILL SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT SOUTH AND THEN INTO NW OKLAHOMA.
BETTER DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL BE FARTHER NORTH AND TIMING OF
CONVECTION SHOULD KEEP THE STRONGER TO SEVERE STORMS MAINLY NORTH OF
FA THIS EVENING. STORMS SHOULD LINGER INTO THE MORNING WITH A
DECREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE AFTERNOON.  HIGH TEMPERATURES COULD
BE TRICKY...BUT SHOULD SEE ENOUGH SUN THAT TEMPERATURES WILL REACH
HIGHER END OF GUIDANCE.

WILL LIKELY SEE SIMILAR SITUATION FOR TUESDAY NIGHT WITH UPSLOPE
FLOW THROUGH A FAIRLY DEEP LAYER AND ACTIVE SOUTHERN STREAM JET.
BEST CHANCE AGAIN APPEARS TO BE ACROSS WESTERN PARTS OF CWA.
HAVE IN ONLY SLIGHT POPS FOR WEDNESDAY DURING THE DAY BUT MAY
NEED TO INCREASE POPS LATER AS TUESDAY NIGHT CONVECTION MAY
LINGER INTO THE MORNING HOURS.

MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SIMILAR IN UPPER AIR FEATURES AT BEGINNING OF
EXTENDED FORECAST (THURS) WITH UPPER RIDGE CENTERED OVER WEST TX AND
UPPER LOW TO THE EAST NEAR GA/AL.  GOING INTO
FRIDAY...TROUGH/SHORTWAVE OVER WESTERN STATES LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS AND APPEARS BEST CHANCE FOR TSRA WITH
THIS FEATURE WILL BE ACROSS NORTHERN PART OF FA THURSDAY NIGHT INTO
FRIDAY MORNING.  CURRENT FORECAST IS DRY AND WILL LIKELY  MAINTAIN
DRY FORECAST AS MOST IF NOT ALL WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN NORTH.  GOING
INTO THE WEEKEND...MODELS DIFFER ON UPPER AIR FEATURES.  ECMWF KEEPS
UPPER RIDGE OVER SOUTHERN 2/3 OF US WITH WEAK WESTWARD MOVING TROUGH
OVER SW GULF. MRF MAINTAINS WEAKNESS/LOW IN RIDGE AND MOVES IT WEST
OVER THE WEEKEND.  OVERALL...PLAN ON KEEPING EXTENDED FORECAST DRY
WITH WEAKER UPPER FLOW, WEAK SURFACE GRADIENT, AND MAIN CONVECTION
WITH GULF SYSTEM REMAINING ON EASTERN SIDE.  EXTENDED GRIDS OUT
SHORTLY.  LOOKING AT NEW ETA AND AVN WILL GO AHEAD AND PUT IN
SLIGHT CHANCES OF TSRA FOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY.

FCSTID = SIX

OKC  68 89 69 88 /  30 20 20 20
HBR  67 88 68 88 /  60 40 40 20
SPS  69 93 71 94 /  40 30 40 20
GAG  65 86 65 87 /  60 40 40 20
PNC  67 88 69 88 /  20 20 20 20
DUA  70 94 70 92 /  20 20 20 20

.OKC...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 27, 12:13 AM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1213 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2002

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

1145 PM    1 SW BUFFALO              OK   68 MPH WIND GUST
08/26/02   HARPER                         OKLAHOMA MESONET REPORT.
                                          WIND 35048G59KT.

...SPEG.
Local storm report, Aug 27, 12:55 AM CDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1255 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2002

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

1150 PM    1 SW BUFFALO              OK   64 MPH WIND GUST
08/26/02   HARPER                         MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. WIND 36044G55KT.

1207 AM    2 SW GAGE                 OK   72 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   ELLIS                          MEASURED AT GAGE AIRPORT
                                          ASOS.  PK WND 34063/0507.

1210 AM    FORT SUPPLY               OK   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       SPOTTER ESTIMATE OF 60 TO
                                          65 MPH WINDS. TWO PICKUP
                                          TRUCK TOPPERS BLOWN OFF.

1215 AM    FORT SUPPLY               OK   WIND DAMAGE
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       ESTIMATED 60 TO 70 MPH
                                          WINDS REPORTED BY COOP
                                          OBSERVER.  TWO LARGE TREE
                                          LIMBS /6 TO 8 INCH/ DOWNED.

1220 AM    WOODWARD                  OK   WIND DAMAGE
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       SPOTTER RELAYED REPORT OF
                                          TWO TREES BLOWN OVER INTO A
                                          HOUSE.

1225 AM    2 WSW WOODWARD            OK   68 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. WIND 33038G59KT.

1229 AM    8 W WOODWARD              OK   68 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       AWOS MEASURED WIND AT WEST
                                          WOODWARD AIRPORT /KWWR/.
                                          WIND 34036G59KT.

...SPEG.
Local storm report, Aug 27, 2:00 AM CDT, 49 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
200 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2002

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

1210 AM    FARGO                     OK   WIND DAMAGE
08/27/02   ELLIS                          TIME ESTIMATED. REPORTS OF
                                          TREE DOWNED AND RAILROAD
                                          CROSSARMS DAMAGED AT FARGO
                                          AND GAGE. REPORTED BY ELLIS
                                          COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE.

1215 AM    FORT SUPPLY               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       REPORTED BY COOP OBSERVER

1245 AM    WOODWARD                  OK   WIND DAMAGE
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       REPORT OF TWO BUILDINGS
                                          WITH SIGNIFICANT ROOF
                                          DAMAGE. REPORTED BY
                                          SPOTTERS.

1252 AM    VICI                      OK   70 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   DEWEY                          ESTIMATED 70 TO 80 MPH WIND
                                          REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
                                          AND AMBULANCE SERVICE AND
                                          RELAYED BY DEWEY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFFS OFFICE.

0100 AM    4 WNW CAMARGO             OK   66 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   DEWEY                          MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET.

0100 AM    6 SE MUTUAL               OK   70 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   WOODWARD                       MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. ALSO GUSTS TO
                                          61 MPH AT 0055 AM...
                                          58 MPH AT 0105 AM AND
                                          64 MPH AT 0110 AM.

0120 AM    3 E MENO                  OK   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   MAJOR                          MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. WIND 34030G52KT.

0125 AM    3 N PUTNAM                OK   60 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   DEWEY                          MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. WIND 33040G52KT.

...SPEG.
Local storm report, Aug 27, 2:25 AM CDT, 24 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
225 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2002

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

0200 AM    7 W WATONGA               OK   61 MPH WIND GUST
08/27/02   BLAINE                         MEASURED BY OKLAHOMA
                                          MESONET. WIND 33028G53KT.
                                          ALSO GUST TO 58 MPH AT
                                          0155 AM.

...SPEG.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 26, 10:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHarper54 min
Aug 26, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis, Harper, Woodward59 min
Aug 27, 12:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNDewey, Ellis, Roger Mills, Woodward55 min
Aug 27, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNMajor60 min
Aug 27, 1:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCuster53 min
Aug 27, 1:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Dewey43 min
Aug 27, 2:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo, Canadian, Custer, Kingfisher, Washita54 min
Aug 27, 2:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGrady59 min
Aug 27, 2:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo, Comanche, Kiowa63 min
Aug 27, 3:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJackson, Tillman56 min
Aug 27, 3:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCleveland, Garvin, Grady, McClain, Stephens75 min
Aug 27, 3:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Cotton44 min
Aug 27, 4:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Jefferson, Murray69 min
Aug 27, 4:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCotton57 min
Aug 27, 4:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarvin36 min
Aug 27, 5:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLove40 min
Aug 27, 5:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka, Bryan, Johnston, Marshall62 min
Aug 27, 5:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCarter, Jefferson, Love, Murray37 min
Aug 27, 6:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBryan, Johnston, Marshall56 min
Aug 27, 4:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWichita, Wilbarger63 min
Aug 27, 4:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNArcher48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.