Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 77, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 1, 2003Pushmataha County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 2003, 5:31 PM CDT for Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 44 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 1, 2003, 5:31 PM CDT (22:31 UTC)
Expired: May 1, 2003, 6:15 PM CDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Pushmataha County, OK

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:33 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 1, 3:45 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 203 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: 1326 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -345 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1850 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 248 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 274 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

043 
WUUS54 KTSA 012231
SVRTUL
OKC127-012315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
531 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN PUSHMATAHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 615 PM CDT

* AT 531 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5
  MILES NORTHWEST OF CLAYTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...CLAYTON...
  TUSKAHOMA...KIAMICHI AND ALBION.

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH 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 3467 9548 3458 9547 3446 9504 3469 9505

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 1, 4:57 PM CDT, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 4:57 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
457 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

STORMS ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BEGINNING TO ROTATE AND TAKE ON
SUPERCELL CHARACTERISTICS. AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERED ACROSS
EXTREME SOUTHEAST TULSA COUNTY AND BOUNDARIES MERGING ACROSS
EAST-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL
CONTINUE IN THE VICINITY OF THESE BOUNDARIES AND THE AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE. THE AIRMASS IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE IN THIS AREA
WITH CAPE IN EXCESS OF 5000 J/KG. WIND SHEAR PROFILES ARE SUCH
THAT TORNADIC SUPERCELLS ARE LIKELY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY WEAKEN
SOME AS THEY MOVE INTO ARKANSAS WHERE THE AIRMASS IS SLIGHTLY MORE
STABLE AND WEAKLY CAPPED.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS AREA BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ALONG
DRYLINE/COLDFRONT ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

THIS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS GENERALLY DIURNAL IN NATURE AND WILL
LIKELY DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET.

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
AT MID DAY A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA.  TO THE EAST OF THIS FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE MOIST.
THIS MOISTURE WILL TRANSLATE INTO INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON AS
TEMPERATURES WARM TO THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S.  AS TEMPERATURES WARM
THE LID ON THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPMENT IMPOSED BY A WARM LAYER OF AIR
OFF THE SURFACE MAY BE BROKEN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY FORM.  IN
ADDITION...THE COLD FRONT COULD AID IN THIS PROCESS AS IT MOVES
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  IF A
THUNDERSTORM DOES FORM THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD BECOME
SEVERE.  THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS WHERE HEATING IS
EXPECTED TO BE MAXIMIZED.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WARNING PROBABILITIES 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN MOVING SLOWLY NORTH LATE FRIDAY
AND LIKELY SPAWN MORE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND OVER
THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...SPOTTER
ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS TODAY.

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 1, 11:53 AM CDT, 5 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1153 AM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

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

0118 AM    4 W GRAINOLA              OK   0.88 IN HAIL
05/01/03   OSAGE

Special weather statement, May 1, 4:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before

ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053-060>063-066>076-020200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH
#202 UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY 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 17 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 DELAWARE              MAYES
OKMULGEE              ROGERS                TULSA
WAGONER

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG
PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...
BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...CLAYTON...EUFAULA...EUREKA
SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUGO...HUNTSVILLE...JAY...
MCALESTER...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...OKMULGEE...
OZARK...POTEAU...PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SAND SPRINGS...SILOAM
SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN
BUREN...WAGONER AND WILBURTON.

Local storm report, May 1, 4:46 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0446 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

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

0442 PM    4 W TAHLEQUAH             OK   0.88 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CHEROKEE                       REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGER

0437 PM    5 W TAHLEQUAH             OK   1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CHEROKEE                       REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0430 PM    1 NE HULBERT              OK   1.25 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CHEROKEE                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR

0430 PM    4 W TAHLEQUAH             OK   1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CHEROKEE                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR

BAS

Local storm report, May 1, 5:00 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0500 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

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

0448 PM    10 S CHLOETA              OK   1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03   DELAWARE                       REPRTED BY TV STATION

BAS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 30, 11:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Washington	64 min
May 1, 12:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage	59 min
May 1, 4:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee	54 min
May 1, 4:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Mayes	37 min
May 1, 4:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Delaware	45 min
May 1, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Wagoner	37 min
May 1, 5:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee	53 min
May 1, 5:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Delaware	50 min
May 1, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Wagoner	45 min
May 1, 5:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Muskogee, Wagoner	50 min
May 1, 5:57 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Cherokee	3 hr
May 1, 6:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	59 min
May 1, 6:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Pushmataha	48 min
May 1, 6:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Sequoyah	46 min
May 1, 6:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Cherokee	17 min
May 1, 6:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oklahoma, 2003 Every 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.