Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 311
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 8, 2003, 5:45 PM CDT for 4 counties in Arkansas; 4 counties in Missouri; 23 counties in Oklahoma. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 8, 2003, 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 2003, 11:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 31 counties
Benton County, AR, Crawford County, AR, Sebastian County, AR, Washington County, AR, Barry County, MO, Lawrence County, MO, McDonald County, MO, Newton County, MO, Adair County, OK, Cherokee County, OK, Coal County, OK, Craig County, OK, Delaware County, OK, Haskell County, OK, Hughes County, OK, Latimer County, OK, LeFlore County, OK, Mayes County, OK, McIntosh County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Nowata County, OK, Okfuskee County, OK, Okmulgee County, OK, Ottawa County, OK, Pittsburg County, OK, Pontotoc County, OK, Rogers County, OK, Sequoyah County, OK, Tulsa County, OK, Wagoner County, OK, Washington County, OK
The radar
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:46 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
3 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 6:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Creek, Okfuskee | 59 min |
| May 8, 7:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Washington | 56 min |
| May 8, 8:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Nowata | 50 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 181 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
- 2594 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -55 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 646 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 55 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 164 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 213 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.1
- Supercell composite
- 11.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 082238
SEL1
SPC WW 082245
ARZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-090400-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 311
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
545 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 545 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MONETT MISSOURI TO 25
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF MCALESTER 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...CONTINUE...WW 303...WW 304...WW 305...WW
306...WW 307...WW 308...
DISCUSSION...TORNADIC SUPERCELLS HAVE DEVELOP VICINITY OKC AND WILL
MOVE NEWD WITH ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. STRONG
SHEAR AND EXTREME INSTABILITY SUPPORT POTENTIAL VIOLENT TORNADOES
WITH ANY SUPERCELLS THAT DEVELOP.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.
...HALES
370,0932 343,0942 343,0964 370,0954
WWUS20 KWNS 082238
SEL1
SPC WW 082245
ARZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-090400-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 311
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
545 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 545 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MONETT MISSOURI TO 25
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF MCALESTER 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...CONTINUE...WW 303...WW 304...WW 305...WW
306...WW 307...WW 308...
DISCUSSION...TORNADIC SUPERCELLS HAVE DEVELOP VICINITY OKC AND WILL
MOVE NEWD WITH ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. STRONG
SHEAR AND EXTREME INSTABILITY SUPPORT POTENTIAL VIOLENT TORNADOES
WITH ANY SUPERCELLS THAT DEVELOP.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.
...HALES
370,0932 343,0942 343,0964 370,0954SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1:18 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Benton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Lincoln, Montgomery and 2 more | 3 hr |
| May 8, 1:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Benton, Carroll | 5 hr |
| May 8, 5:02 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crawford, Franklin, Howard, Johnson, Logan, Madison and 8 more | 2 hr |
| May 8, 6:20 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Montgomery, Scott, Sebastian and 1 more | 3 hr |
| May 8, 7:33 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Montgomery, Scott and 2 more | 87 min |
| May 8, 8:25 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Baxter, Boone, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden and 18 more | 5 hr |
| May 8, 9:55 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Mississippi | 3 hr |
| May 8, 10:21 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Cleburne, Craighead, Greene, Independence, Izard and 8 more | 84 min |
| May 8, 10:25 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Mississippi and 3 more | 6 hr |
| May 8, 11:59 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Cleburne, Craighead, Greene, Independence, Izard and 8 more | 2 hr |
| May 8, 12:24 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Mississippi and 2 more | 2 hr |
| May 8, 5:31 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan and 4 more | 59 min |
| May 8, 6:38 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Benton, Crawford, Washington | 2 hr |
| May 8, 3:51 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrew, Atchison, Barry, Barton, Benton, Buchanan and 32 more | 3 hr |
| May 8, 4:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 27 more | 7 hr |
| May 8, 7:50 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 27 more | 85 min |
| May 8, 7:55 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 27 more | 95 min |
| May 8, 12:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audrain, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Lincoln, Macon and 14 more | 4 hr |
| May 8, 1:50 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Atchison | 7 hr |
| May 8, 2:11 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Audrain, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marion and 10 more | 2 hr |
| May 8, 4:16 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrew, Barton, Bates, Benton, Buchanan, Caldwell and 35 more | 29 min |
| May 8, 4:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Andrew, Barton, Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 24 more | 6 hr |
| May 7, 8:01 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Beckham, Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Harmon and 4 more | 59 min |
| May 7, 10:35 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alfalfa, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland and 29 more | 55 min |
| May 7, 10:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Beckham, Bryan, Carter, Coal, Comanche, Cotton and 13 more | 5 hr |
| May 7, 10:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Alfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian and 39 more | 5 hr |
| May 7, 11:51 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Beckham, Bryan, Carter, Coal, Comanche, Cotton and 13 more | 54 min |
| May 8, 1:57 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Carter, Coal, Comanche and 14 more | 2 hr |
| May 8, 3:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal and 25 more | 3 hr |
| May 8, 12:49 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alfalfa, Blaine, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Kiowa and 1 more | 3 hr |
| May 8, 1:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Alfalfa, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland and 24 more | 7 hr |
| May 8, 3:34 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alfalfa, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Comanche and 25 more | 116 min |
| May 8, 4:47 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain and 3 more | 58 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2003Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2003Every tornado watch 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.