Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 253, NWS Norman, OK

May 8, 2003Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 2003, 10:58 PM CDT for Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 47 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 8, 2003, 10:58 PM CDT (03:58 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2003, 11:45 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pottawatomie County, OK

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 33 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:57 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 41 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 2003-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3798 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 2003-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 330 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
3798 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
929 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
330 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
364 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
8.2
Supercell composite
31.1

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 May 8, 8:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 8:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
800 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

OVERALL AFTN FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE. WILL SEND A QUICK UPDATE
TO MAKE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO POPS AND WINDS. DRY LINE REMAINS TO
THE WEST OF THE OKC METRO AND THERE HAVE BEEN PERIODIC ATTEMPTS TO
GET SOME TOWERING CU TO GO ON THE DRY LINE. TO OUR SOUTH THERE ARE
SOME STORMS GOING ON THE DRY LINE IN NORTH TEXAS SO WILL KEEP POPS
GOING FOR AREAS TO THE EAST OF DRY LINE FOR REMAINDER OF EVENING
WITH SEVERE WORDING IN ZONES. UPDATES OUT SHORTLY.

30

---------------------------------------------------

334 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

UPDATED TO ISSUE WIND ADVISORY FOR NW OK FROM 4 UNTIL 7 PM THIS
EVENING. REMAINDER OF FORECAST REASONING REMAINS UNCHANGED.
 MILLER

.OUN...
OK...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING OKZ004-005-009-010.
TX...NONE.
****************************
219 PM CDT THUS MAY 8 2003

...POTENTIAL FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK INCLUDING
SUPERCELLS AND TORNADOES ACROSS THE CENTRAL THIRD OF OKLAHOMA DURING
THE NEXT 3-9 HOURS...

MID/UPPER LEVEL TROF AND SFC LOW CONT TO RAPIDLY DEEPEN OVER WRN
KS/ERN CO EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.. AND THERE IS SUBTLE EVIDENCE OF A
SECONDARY IMPULSE PUSHING EWD ACROSS NEW MEXICO. 18Z OUN SOUNDING
INDICATES THAT CAPPING IS MUCH WEAKER THAN PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED ALONG
DRYLINE ACROSS MOST OF OKLAHOMA.  POTENT THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE IS
EVIDENT WITH VERY HIGH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE CONTENT.. LOW LCL
HGHTS AND STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. IN ADDITION..THE HODOGRAPH
SHOWS SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR IN PLACE.. HILITED
BY A DISTINCT KINK IN THE HODOGRAPH AT ABOUT 1.5 KM AGL. THIS TYPE
OF LOW LEVEL SHEAR PROFILE IN COMBINATION WITH ABOVE MENTIONED
THERMODYNAMICS HAS OFTEN BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ENVIRONMENTS
SUPPORTIVE OF LONG LIVED STRONG/VIOLENT TORNADOES.  EXPECT
INITIATION INVOF THE DRYLINE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS WITH
SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT LIKELY.  SVR THREAT WILL LIKELY CONTINUE WELL
INTO THE NITE AS STRONG UVVS CONT ALONG DRYLINE UNTIL AT LEAST 06Z
ACROSS MUCH OF OKLAHOMA.  LIKELY TO SEE DEVELOPMENT SWD INTO TEXAS
LATER THIS AFT/EVE.

INSTABILITY AXIS WILL RELOAD FRIDAY OVER THE SE ZONES.. AND THEN
EXPAND NWWD INTO REDEVELOPING WARM FRONTAL ZONE FRIDAY NITE.  HAVE
READJUSTED POPS TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS THINKING.  NEXT WAVE WILL EJECT
ONTO THE PLAINS SATURDAY.. BUT MAIN FOCUS FOR ACTIVITY WITH THIS
WAVE LOOKS TO BE NORTHEAST OF THE OUN CWA ATTM. HOWEVER..STILL
LIKELY TO SEE AT LEAST A FEW STORMS ALONG/SE OF I44 CORRIDOR AHEAD
OF DRYLINE/FRONT.  IT APPEARS THAT LOW LEVEL RIDGING WILL FINALLY
BUILD SWD FAR ENUF SUNDAY INTO MONDAY TO ALLOW FOR A BRIEF RESPITE
FROM STORMS..BUT TROPICAL BOUNDARY LAYER AIR WILL BE LURKING CLOSE
BY AND SHUD MOVE BACK NWD MONDAY/TUES AS LONG WAVE TROF RELOADS OVER
THE WRN CONUS.  WE WILL BRING SLGT CHC POPS BACK INTO THE SW ZONES
MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH ONSET OF MOISTURE RETURN.. AND THEN
EXPAND/INCREASE POPS ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA THRU MID WEEK.
MORE BOUTS OF SVR STORMS SEEM LIKELY AS SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY AXIS
REMAINS SUPERIMPOSED UNDERNEATH STRONG MID LEVEL FLOW.
 MILLER

OKC   64  89  67  84 /  60  20  20  30
HBR   59  91  64  88 /  10  20  20  20
SPS   66  94  68  92 /  50  30  20  30
GAG   51  89  57  82 /  10  30  30  10
PNC   64  85  67  82 /  60  20  40  20
DUA   71  88  72  88 /  60  20  20  40

.OUN...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 9:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-091200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
920 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

...MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

LOCATION...
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM
WAKITA...TO HINTON...TO FREDERICK...TO SEYMOUR TEXAS.

TIMING...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP AT ANY TIME THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT.

IMPACTS...
SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO THE
SIZE OF BASEBALLS. WIND GUSTS TO 75 MPH AND TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS EVENING...AND OVERNIGHT.

DISCUSSION...
A DRY LINE WAS POSITIONED ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE SLIGHT RISK
AREA...AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE LITTLE THROUGH THE NIGHT. WITH A VERY
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS EAST OF THE DRY LINE...ALONG WITH
FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR PARAMETERS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT.
SUPERCELLS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT FRIDAY MAY 9.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...40 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...80 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  THE DAYS
WITH THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY...PRIMARILY EAST OF I-35...AND NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY
ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 7 AM
FRIDAY.

GRAPHICAL OUTLOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/OUN

11

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 8, 6:13 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 8, 6:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 8, 7:04 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 8, 7:37 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
737 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0517 PM    OKLAHOMA CITY             OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   OKLAHOMA                       TORNADO ON GROUND AT HWY 77
                                          & 240, REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO SPOTTER

0550 PM    4 S HARRAH                OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   OKLAHOMA                       TORNADO ON GROUND.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER

0600 PM    1 N JACKTOWN              OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   LINCOLN                        TORNADO ON GROUND.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          SPOTTER

0545 PM    MCCLOUD                   OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   POTTAWATOMIE                   MULTIPLE VORTEX TORNADO ON
                                          GROUND.  REPORTED BY HAM
                                          RADIO SPOTTER

0530 PM    MIDWEST CITY              OK   TORNADO ON GROUND
05/08/03   OKLAHOMA                       MULTIPLE HOUSES HEAVILY DAMAGED,
                                          POWER LINES DOWNED.  DAMAGE
                                          REPORTED BY NWS EL TECH.
Local storm report, May 8, 8:01 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
801 PM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0522 PM    3 S DEL CITY              OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   OKLAHOMA                       DAMAGE REPORTED AT GENERAL
                                          MOTORS PLANT.  REPORTED BY
                                          SPOTTER

0539 PM    CHOCTAW                   OK   TORNADO
05/08/03   OKLAHOMA                       REPORTED BY SPOTTER
Special weather statement, May 8, 10:25 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
OKZ030-090345-

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1025 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY.

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
WANETTE...TO 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WANETTE AT 1025 PM CDT...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

PEOPLE IN POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND WATCH FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS
THIS STORM APPROACHES.

11

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 10:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarvin, McClain42 min
May 8, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNSeminole45 min
May 8, 11:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNPontotoc51 min
May 8, 11:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHughes50 min
May 9, 12:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNHughes19 min
May 9, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWashita50 min
May 9, 3:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine26 min
May 9, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNLogan, Oklahoma49 min
May 9, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNJackson, Tillman39 min
May 9, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Kiowa50 min
May 9, 5:17 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNLincoln, Logan, Payne43 min
May 9, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo47 min
May 9, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNWashita47 min
May 9, 5:59 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNPayne31 min
May 9, 6:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKiowa, Logan29 min
May 9, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGreer49 min
May 9, 6:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNCaddo, Canadian, Washita45 min
May 9, 6:35 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNCaddo25 min
May 9, 6:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine49 min
May 9, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Kiowa, Washita45 min
May 9, 6:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKingfisher50 min
May 9, 10:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKnox48 min
May 9, 11:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNFoard47 min
May 9, 3:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNKnox33 min
May 9, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBaylor51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.