Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Watches in 2002
Tornado Watch 261
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 8, 2002, 9:00 PM CDT for 23 counties in Oklahoma. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 8, 2002, 9:00 PM CDT (02:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 2002, 2:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 23 counties
Adair County, OK, Alfalfa County, OK, Blaine County, OK, Cherokee County, OK, Craig County, OK, Creek County, OK, Delaware County, OK, Garfield County, OK, Grant County, OK, Kay County, OK, Kingfisher County, OK, Logan County, OK, Mayes County, OK, Noble County, OK, Nowata County, OK, Osage County, OK, Ottawa County, OK, Pawnee County, OK, Payne County, OK, Rogers County, OK, Tulsa County, OK, Wagoner County, OK, Washington County, OK
The radar
The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:59 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.
Warnings issued inside it
24 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 9:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Grant, Kay | 45 min |
| May 8, 9:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garfield, Noble | 46 min |
| May 8, 9:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 57 min |
| May 8, 9:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kay | 45 min |
| May 8, 10:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pawnee | 56 min |
| May 8, 10:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher | 36 min |
| May 8, 10:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Garfield, Noble | 44 min |
| May 8, 10:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 64 min |
| May 8, 10:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Blaine | 49 min |
| May 8, 11:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pawnee | 60 min |
| May 8, 11:15 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TSA | Osage | 4 hr |
| May 8, 11:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 52 min |
| May 8, 11:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 93 min |
| May 8, 11:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Adair, Delaware | 65 min |
| May 8, 11:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Rogers | 55 min |
| May 8, 11:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Kingfisher, Logan | 47 min |
| May 9, 12:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Nowata | 60 min |
| May 9, 12:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Washington | 46 min |
| May 9, 12:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Craig | 55 min |
| May 9, 12:29 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Tulsa | 61 min |
| May 9, 12:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage | 43 min |
| May 9, 12:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Adair, Creek | 61 min |
| May 9, 1:06 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Rogers | 54 min |
| May 9, 1:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Okmulgee, Tulsa, Wagoner | 45 min |
The nearest sounding before it
Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 147 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
- 3758 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 901 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 232 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 265 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 5.8
- Supercell composite
- 21.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WWUS20 KWNS 090135 SEL1 SPC WW 090130 OKZ000-090700- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 261 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 830 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING FROM 900 PM UNTIL 200 AM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES WEST OF ENID OKLAHOMA TO 70 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF TULSA 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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 255. WATCH NUMBER 255 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 900 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 256...WW 257...WW 258...WW 259... DISCUSSION...LINE OF SUPERCELL STORMS REMAINS ALONG THE KS/OK BORDER. THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY PERSIST FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS AND TRACK EASTWARD AT ABOUT 30 KNOTS. 00Z OUN SOUNDING CONTINUES TO INDICATE EXTREME INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES FOR VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035. ...HART 365,0982 370,0944 360,0944 354,0982 WWUS20 KWNS 090135 SEL1 SPC WW 090130 OKZ000-090700- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 261 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 830 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING FROM 900 PM UNTIL 200 AM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES WEST OF ENID OKLAHOMA TO 70 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF TULSA 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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 255. WATCH NUMBER 255 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 900 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 256...WW 257...WW 258...WW 259... DISCUSSION...LINE OF SUPERCELL STORMS REMAINS ALONG THE KS/OK BORDER. THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY PERSIST FOR SEVERAL MORE HOURS AND TRACK EASTWARD AT ABOUT 30 KNOTS. 00Z OUN SOUNDING CONTINUES TO INDICATE EXTREME INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES FOR VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035. ...HART 365,0982 370,0944 360,0944 354,0982
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Ottawa | 6 hr |
| May 9, 1:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Cherokee, Coal, Creek, Haskell, Hughes and 10 more | 5 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2002Every tornado watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.