Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 103, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 6, 2003Wagoner County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 6, 2003, 3:53 PM CDT for Wagoner County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 52 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 2003, 3:53 PM CDT (20:53 UTC)
Expired
May 6, 2003, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Wagoner County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:55 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.

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
May 6, 11:40 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 12:00Z on 2003-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 236 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 12:00Z on 2003-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 93 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
236 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-453 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2191 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

387 
WUUS54 KTSA 062053
SVRTUL
OKC145-062145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
353 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WAGONER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 353 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF STONEBLUFF...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...WAGONER...
  PORTER...STONEBLUFF AND COWETA.

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY 
INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

LAT...LON 3583 9584 3576 9565 3600 9524 3618 9546

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 May 6, 3:25 PM CDT, 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 3:25 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
325 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

DRYLINE ENTERING ERN OK THIS AFTERNOON. CONVECTION ALREADY FIRING
ACROSS SE OK WITH THIS ACTIVITY LIKELY DEVELOPING FURTHER NE
ALONG THE DRYLINE INTO NE OK. ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCRETE
SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT EXISTS WELL OUT AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...MAINLY
ACROSS NE OK AND NW AR WHERE THE BETTER LOW LEVEL WILL BE BACKED BY
THE SFC LOW ACROSS SE KS. CONVECTION WILL SHIFT EAST TONIGHT AS THE
DRYLINE AND COLD FRONT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. POPS THIS EVENING ARE
GOING TO BE TRICKY...WITH A SHARP POPS GRADIENT SETTING UP JUST EAST
OF A BVO-TUL-OKMULGEE LINE. WILL GO AHEAD AND LEAVE POPS OUT ACROSS
WRN ZONES AS DRYLINE SHOULD BE EAST OF THOSE AREAS BY 00Z. MAY CATCH
A BREAK TOMORROW WITH BOUNDARY TO STALL OUT IN THE VICINITY OF THE
RED RIVER. BOUNDARY TO MOVE NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY
...WITH SURFACE MOISTURE INCREASING ONCE AGAIN. UNCERTAINTY EXISTS
WITH TIMING AND AREAL COVERAGE OF POPS SO WILL GO WITH HIGH CHC POPS
TOMORROW NIGHT. DRYLINE SETS UP TO THE WEST ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY...SO
WILL CONTINUE WITH HIGH CHANCE POPS. WILL LOWER POPS SOME THURSDAY
NIGHT CONVECTION GETS PUSHED EAST.

WILL GO AHEAD AND KEEP LOW POPS IN FOR FRIDAY AS LEE SFC LOW
PRESSURE QUICKLY REDEVELOPS...EFFECTIVELY KEEPING THE AREA IN A
SOUTHERLY WIND WITH MOISTURE PRETTY MUCH REMAINING IN PLACE. FRIDAY
COULD BE DRY ALTOGETHER AS LIMITED UPPER SUPPORT AS GFS SUGGESTS WE
WILL BE IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS AT THAT TIME. THE NEXT STRONG UPPER
SYSTEM PER GFS AND ECMWF PROGGED TO AFFECT THE AREA MAINLY
SATURDAY. BULK OF SYSTEM LOOKS TO BE EAST OF THE AREA BY
SUNDAY...AND WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHC POPS IN FOR EARLY PART OF SUNDAY.
MONDAY AND TUESDAY LOOK DRY FOR NOW. WILL GO AHEAD AND WARM THINGS
UP SLIGHTLY FOR TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDE EAST-SOUTHEAST.

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
TUL   53   81   70   85  / 10   20   50   50
FSM   64   83   69   86  / 70   20   50   50
MLC   61   84   73   86  / 30   20   50   50
BVO   48   80   67   84  / 10   20   50   50
FYV   59   79   65   81  / 70   20   50   50
BYV   59   79   64   80  / 70   20   50   50
MKO   58   82   70   85  / 30   20   50   50
MIO   53   79   64   82  / 70   20   50   50
F10   57   83   72   86  / 20   20   50   50
HHW   67   86   72   88  / 60   20   50   50

FORECAST ID= 23

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-071100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
   ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON WITH A DRY LINE EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTHWEST
OKLAHOMA.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG THE DRY LINE BY
MID AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA...RAPIDLY BECOMING SEVERE.
SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF
BASEBALLS...DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS TO 70 MPH AND A FEW TORNADOES.
THE GREATEST TORNADO THREAT THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL BE ACROSS FAR
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH OF A
BARTLESVILLE...FORT SMITH LINE.

WARNING PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES CAN BE
FOUND IN THE OUTLOOK SECTION AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA. GIVEN
PROBABILITIES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WARNING TO BE ISSUED AT
YOUR LOCATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY
AN ACTIVE SPRING WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND AS A
SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND A
SURFACE BOUNDARY REMAINS OVER THE AREA. IT APPEARS THE BEST CHANCES
OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...AND
AGAIN ON SATURDAY. A MORE STABLE PATTERN MAY FINALLY TAKE OVER BY
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON.   A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS UNTIL 700 PM.  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD
CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS...AS
WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 6, 12:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ054>072-070000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1246 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #269 UNTIL 700
PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS:

BENTON                CARROLL               CRAWFORD
MADISON               WASHINGTON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

FRANKLIN              SEBASTIAN

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 19 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              OKFUSKEE
SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 CRAIG                 CREEK
DELAWARE              MAYES                 NOWATA
OKMULGEE              OSAGE                 OTTAWA
PAWNEE                ROGERS                TULSA
WAGONER               WASHINGTON

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

MCINTOSH

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARTLESVILLE...BENTONVILLE...
BERRYVILLE...BRISTOW...BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...
EUFAULA...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUNTSVILLE...
JAY...MIAMI...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...NOWATA...
OKEMAH...OKMULGEE...OZARK...PAWHUSKA...PAWNEE...PRYOR...ROGERS...
SALLISAW...SAND SPRINGS...SILOAM SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STILWELL...
TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN BUREN...VINITA AND WAGONER.
Special weather statement, May 6, 3:01 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
OKZ049-053-073>076-070200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
301 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #273 UNTIL
900 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              PITTSBURG             PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...CLAYTON...HUGO...MCALESTER...
POTEAU...STIGLER AND WILBURTON.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 6, 3:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkmulgee45 min
May 6, 3:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh55 min
May 6, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMuskogee70 min
May 6, 4:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg87 min
May 6, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMayes, Rogers56 min
May 6, 4:39 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMuskogee66 min
May 6, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSADelaware, Ottawa58 min
May 6, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig64 min
May 6, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASequoyah50 min
May 6, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair, Cherokee62 min
May 6, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMayes45 min
May 6, 5:23 PM CDTTornado WarningTSASequoyah52 min
May 6, 5:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAHaskell, Latimer, Muskogee, Pittsburg81 min
May 6, 6:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPushmataha88 min
May 6, 6:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASequoyah77 min
May 6, 6:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair41 min
May 6, 6:26 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAAdair34 min
May 6, 6:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore72 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.