Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 155, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 10, 2003Cherokee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 10, 2003, 2:49 AM CDT for Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 56 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 10, 2003, 2:49 AM CDT (07:49 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2003, 3:45 AM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cherokee County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:51 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 9, 11:10 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 141 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2003-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2291 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2003-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 133 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2291 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-67 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
686 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
133 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
7.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KTSA 100749
SVRTUL
OKC021-100845-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
249 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 345 AM CDT

* AT 249 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
  A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF PEGGS TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST
  OF PEGGS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...OAKS...PEGGS
  AND SCRAPER.

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

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP SUDDENLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH.

LAT...LON 3618 9508 3595 9528 3594 9480 3617 9480

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 10, 2:08 AM CDT, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 2:08 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
208 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

LATEST PROFILER DATA SUGGESTS THAT THE NUMERIC MODEL MAY BE CORRECT
AND THE UPPER-LEVEL WIND FIELDS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE STORM
MAY BE COLLAPSING.  THE RADAR PRESENTATION OF THE STORM IS
DETERIORATING AND THE THREAT APPEARS TO BE EASING.  ITS BECOMING
MORE LIKELY THAT THE STORM WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN.  AS WE HAVE SEEN
SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST 24 HOURS...STORMS IN CAPPED ENVIRONMENTS
NEED THEIR CIRCULATION TO HELP SUPPORT THE UPDRAFT.  WITHOUT THE
CIRCULATION THE CELL CAN DIE QUICKLY.

FORECAST ID= 08

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 11:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-101100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1115 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

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

.DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...TORNADIC SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO NORTHEAST
   OKLAHOMA AFTER MIDNIGHT...

...DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA...

A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM HAS MOVED THROUGH THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN
PARTS OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY METROPOLITAN AREA. STORM SPOTTERS HAVE
REPORTED A LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO WITH THIS STORM AS IT MOVED
THROUGH THE OKLAHOMA CITY AREA.

ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS REMAIN VERY FAVORABLE FOR THIS SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM TO CONTINUE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST INTO NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT IS VERY HIGH IN
CREEK...OKMULGEE AND TULSA COUNTIES. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST
THAT THE TORNADIC STORM WILL BEGIN AFFECTING CREEK COUNTY BY SHORTLY
AFTER MIDNIGHT AND TORNADO WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED PRIOR TO
THIS TIME.

INSTABILITY IS SLIGHTLY LESS EAST OF TULSA AND THE CAP IS A BIT
STRONGER TO THE EAST AS WELL SO THE THUNDERSTORM MAY BEGIN TO WEAKEN
AFTER IT MOVES EAST OF TULSA AND OKMULGEE COUNTIES. THERE IS SOME
UNCERTAINTY IN THIS FORECAST SO PEOPLE LIVING IN
WAGONER...ROGERS...CHEROKEE...MAYES...ADAIR AND DELAWARE COUNTIES
SHOULD ALSO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS THUNDERSTORM.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT WITH
LARGE HAIL BEING THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY NEW STORMS.

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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE UPPER LEVEL
SYSTEM MOVING OUT INTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY WILL PUSH A
COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA.  A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
INTO SATURDAY ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT UNTIL THE FRONT CLEARS
THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON.  DRY WEATHER WILL THEN PREVAIL FOR A
FEW DAYS TILL THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPS BY TUESDAY.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A CONTINUED CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER  ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED TONIGHT IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD CLOSELY
MONITOR THE LATEST WARNINGS AND STATEMENT FOR CRITICAL WEATHER
INFORMATION.

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 9, 11:08 PM CDT, 3 hours 41 minutes before
OKZ064-100445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1108 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR CREEK COUNTY UNTIL 1140 PM
   CDT...

AT 1108 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM 35
MILES WEST OF MILFAY...MOVING EAST-NORHTEAST AT 25 MPH. STORM
SPOTTERS REPORTED HAVE REPORTED A LARGE DAMAGING TORNADO
ACCOMPANYING THIS STORM.

TORNADO WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED FOR CREEK COUNTY APPROXIMATELY 30
MINUTES PRIOR TO ARRIVAL ASSUMING THE STORM MAINTAINS ITS CURRENT
CHARACTERISTICS.

RESIDENTS...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...AND SPOTTERS IN CREEK COUNTY
SHOULD PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR A TORNADIC EVENT AND CLOSELY MONITOR
THE LATEST WEATHER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA.
Special weather statement, May 9, 11:18 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
OKZ065-100445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1118 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

...URGENT MESSAGE...

WE HAVE RECEIVED REPORTS OF A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM IN STROUD.

THE MEDIA IN TULSA IS URGED TO IMMEDIATELY PLEA THAT PEOPLE DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TOWARD OKLAHOMA CITY FROM TULSA.

MANY PEOPLE ARE SAID TO BE IN GREAT DANGER IN STOPPED VEHICLES AS
THE TORNADO CONTINUES TO THE NORTHEAST ALONG THE I-44 CORRIDOR.

WWUS84 KTSA 100421 RRA
SPSTUL
OKZ060-064-065-100500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1118 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

...URGENT MESSAGE...

WE HAVE RECEIVED REPORTS OF A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM IN STROUD.

THE MEDIA IN TULSA IS URGED TO IMMEDIATELY PLEA THAT PEOPLE DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TOWARD OKLAHOMA CITY FROM TULSA.

MANY PEOPLE ARE SAID TO BE IN GREAT DANGER IN STOPPED VEHICLES AS
THE TORNADO CONTINUES TO THE NORTHEAST ALONG THE I-44 CORRIDOR.
Special weather statement, May 9, 11:18 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
OKZ060-064-065-100500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1118 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003

...URGENT MESSAGE...

WE HAVE RECEIVED REPORTS OF A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM IN STROUD.

THE MEDIA IN TULSA IS URGED TO IMMEDIATELY PLEA THAT PEOPLE DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TOWARD OKLAHOMA CITY FROM TULSA.

MANY PEOPLE ARE SAID TO BE IN GREAT DANGER IN STOPPED VEHICLES AS
THE TORNADO CONTINUES TO THE NORTHEAST ALONG THE I-44 CORRIDOR.
Special weather statement, May 10, 12:11 AM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before
OKZ060-066-100615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1211 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TULSA AND NORHTERN
   OKMULGEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1235 AM CDT...

AT 1211 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM 39
MILES WEST OF GLENPOOL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE COMMUNITIES OF HECTORVILLE...TULSA...BIXBY...JENKS AND GLENPOOL
WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM THROUGH 115 AM CDT.

TORNADO WARNINGS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR NORTHERN OKMULGEE AND TULSA
COUNTIES FOR THE TORNADIC STORM NOW ENTERING CREEK COUNTY.  TORNADO
WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE
TORNADIC PORTION OF THE STORM ENTERING TULSA AND NORTHERN OKMULGEE
COUNTIES.

RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN TULSA AND OKMULGEE COUNTIES
SHOULD PREPARE FOR A TORNADIC EVENT.
Special weather statement, May 10, 12:56 AM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
OKZ067-100615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1256 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR WAGONER COUNTY UNTIL 115
   AM CDT...

AT 1256 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM 34
MILES WEST OF STONEBLUFF...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.  THIS STORM HAS A
HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES.

TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ISSUED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE
TORNADIC CIRCULATION ENTERING WAGONER COUNTY.

RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN WAGONER COUNTY SHOULD PREPARE
NOW FOR A TORNADIC EVENT.
Special weather statement, May 10, 2:00 AM CDT, 49 minutes before
OKZ062-068-100745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
200 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN MAYES AND
   NORTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 245 AM CDT...

AT 200 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 24 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MAZIE...MOVING
EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES.  RECENT RADAR
TRENDS SHOW A WEAKENING TREND HOWEVER THIS REMAINS A DANGEROUS STORM
WITH TORNADIC POTENTIAL.

RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN MAYES AND NORTHERN
CHEROKEE COUNTIES SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST WARNINGS AND AND
STATEMENTS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 8:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee59 min
May 9, 10:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAWashington43 min
May 9, 10:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata66 min
May 9, 11:40 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek65 min
May 9, 11:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACreek, Osage, Pawnee43 min
May 9, 11:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSATulsa51 min
May 10, 12:21 AM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek54 min
May 10, 12:34 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAOkmulgee, Tulsa56 min
May 10, 1:15 AM CDTTornado WarningTSACreek, Okmulgee, Tulsa45 min
May 10, 1:22 AM CDTTornado WarningTSAWagoner68 min
May 10, 2:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAWagoner46 min
May 10, 2:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMayes48 min
May 10, 12:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee52 min
May 10, 12:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Pawnee49 min
May 10, 1:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee, Okmulgee42 min
May 10, 1:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata, Rogers, Washington65 min
May 10, 1:35 PM CDTTornado WarningTSANowata, Rogers, Washington70 min
May 10, 1:52 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg53 min
May 10, 2:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig44 min
May 10, 2:25 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAHaskell, Muskogee65 min
May 10, 2:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig53 min
May 10, 2:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh, Pittsburg75 min
May 10, 2:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASequoyah46 min
May 10, 3:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOttawa57 min
May 10, 3:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSARogers31 min
May 10, 3:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAAdair38 min
May 10, 4:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOttawa60 min
May 10, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSALeFlore34 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.