Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 12, NWS Tulsa, OK

March 9, 20027 counties in Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 9, 2002, 12:30 AM CST for 7 counties in Oklahoma. It was in force for 60 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Mar 9, 2002, 12:30 AM CST (06:30 UTC)
Expired: Mar 9, 2002, 1:30 AM CST
In force: 60 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Cherokee County, OK, Craig County, OK, Delaware County, OK, Mayes County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Ottawa County, OK, Wagoner County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:31 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
Mar 9, 12:30 AM CST	Thunderstorm Wind 50 M	Miami, OK
Mar 9, 12:30 AM CST	Thunderstorm Wind 61 E	Porter, OK	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour damaged a mobile home and destroyed a shed and a barn.
Mar 9, 12:50 AM CST	Thunderstorm Wind 61 E	Eucha, OK	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a few trees down.
Mar 9, 1:15 AM CST	Thunderstorm Wind 61 E	Tahlequah, OK	Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a tree down.

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 nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 128 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 217 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -139 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 955 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 282 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 414 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KTSA 090630
SVRTUL
OKC021-035-041-097-101-115-145-090730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1229 AM CST SAT MAR 9 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  NORTHERN MUSKOGEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  SOUTHEASTERN CRAIG COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  DELAWARE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  MAYES COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  OTTAWA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  EASTERN WAGONER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 130 AM CST

* AT 1229 AM CST SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS   
UP TO 65 MPH WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES   
NORTHWEST OF COMMERCE TO 7 MILES WEST OF BOYNTON...MOVING EAST AT   
20 MPH.

THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT A LARGE PORTION OF THE WARNED AREA WITH 
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD TAKE COVER 
FROM THESE STORMS.

LAT...LON 3698 9500 3626 9533 3558 9580 3566 9482
          3700 9462

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 Mar 8, 10:00 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 10:00 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1000 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

STRONG CONVECTION CONTINUES OVER FAR EASTERN SECTIONS OF FA.  BELIEVE
THIS AREA WILL SHIFT EAST INTO CENTRAL ARK OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
MAIN CONVECTIVE LINE WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INTO OSAGE AND
PAWNEE COUNTIES WITHIN THE HOUR.  LINE HAS WEAKENED SOMEWHAT...BUT
SEVERE THREAT SHOULD CONTINUE OVERNIGHT WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN
THREAT...PRIMARILY NORTH OF I-40.  ALSO INCLUDED REMAINDER OF FA IN
WIND ADVISORY OVERNIGHT AS WINDS WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND
THE FRONT. ALREADY SENT UPDATED ZONES...MAINLY FOR WATCH/ADVISORY
CONFIGURATIONS.

FCSTID = 12

.TSA...
AR...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR
ZONES ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011.
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES ARZ001-ARZ002-
ARZ010-ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

OK...WIND ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR ZONES
OKZ054>071.
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES
OKZ054>056-OKCZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ064.
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM FOR ZONES OKZ069-OKZ072-
OKZ074>OKZ076-OKZ049-OKZ053.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 9:00 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
900 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
   AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...

A STRONG COLD FRONT...WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS BY LATE
EVENING...WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS
DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT AND WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS
THE FRONT PASSES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE.  THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE FURTHER
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.  SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT DAMAGING WINDS.

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE...THEREFORE A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ALL OF
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.  PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA /NPWTUL/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN
OKLAHOMA AROUND 9 PM.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED
CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY.

.DISCUSSION...
THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS IT
PROGRESSES EASTWARD.  THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS BORDER WILL
MAXIMIZE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OVER NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA...WHILE
AREAS FURTHER SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE INHIBITED BY A WARM LAYER
ALOFT.  STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS AS STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVERSPREAD THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC SATURDAY

AREA 1...NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...70
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...30

AREA 2...SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...80
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...40
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...10

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.

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

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 9:25 PM CST, 3 hours 5 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
925 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEASTERN
   OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE FORMED OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
ISOLATED TORNADOES PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SHIFT EASTWARD INTO CENTRAL
ARKANSAS AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.

THE COLD FRONT...WHICH WAS LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS BY LATE
EVENING...WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.  A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS HAS
DEVELOPED ALONG THIS FRONT AND WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS
THE FRONT PASSES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER FAR
NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE.  THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE FURTHER
SOUTHWARD ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.  SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREAT DAMAGING WINDS.

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE...THEREFORE A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN POSTED FOR ALL OF
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.  PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE TULSA /NPWTUL/ FOR MORE INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED OVER FAR NORTHEASTERN
OKLAHOMA AROUND 9 PM.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED
CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY.

.DISCUSSION...
THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS IT
PROGRESSES EASTWARD.  THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE OKLAHOMA/KANSAS BORDER WILL
MAXIMIZE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OVER NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA...WHILE
AREAS FURTHER SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE INHIBITED BY A WARM LAYER
ALOFT.  STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE
THUNDERSTORMS AS STRONG WINDS ALOFT OVERSPREAD THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC SATURDAY

AREA 1...NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...70
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...30

AREA 2...SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...80
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...40
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...10

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.

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

Local storm report, Mar 8, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1039 PM CST FRI MAR 08 2002

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

0955 PM    CECIL                     AR    WIND DAMAGE
03/08/02   FRANKLIN                        SPOTTERS REPORTED
                                           SEVERAL TREES DOWN

Special weather statement, Mar 8, 11:40 PM CST, 50 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-069-072-074>076-090630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1140 PM CST FRI MAR 8 2002

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13 HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR SOUTHEAST
   OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...

THE INITIAL AREAS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SHIFTED EAST OF
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES DIMINISHING.
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS: BENTON
...CARROLL...WASHINGTON...MADISON...CRAWFORD...FRANKLIN AND
SEBASTIAN COUNTIES.

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: ADAIR...SEQUOYAH...HASKELL...LATIMER...LE
FLORE...PUSHMATAHA AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES.

A SECONDARY LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
AND SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT...IN ASSOCIATION WITH A STRONG COLD
FRONT.  SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG WITH WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST ON THIS DEVELOPING SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. ADDITIONAL
WEATHER INFORMATION...INCLUDING RELATED GRAPHICS CAN BE FOUND AT:
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.

Local storm report, Mar 8, 11:59 PM CST, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1159 PM CST FRI MAR 08 2002

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

0955 PM    CECIL                     AR    WIND DAMAGE
03/08/02   FRANKLIN                        SPOTTERS REPORTED
                                           SEVERAL TREES DOWN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 9, 12:34 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Muskogee, Ottawa and 1 more	56 min
Mar 9, 1:00 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair	60 min
Mar 9, 1:24 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Haskell, Latimer, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburg, Sequoyah	66 min
Mar 9, 1:50 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Choctaw, Pushmataha	70 min
Mar 9, 1:51 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	69 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 2002 Every 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.