Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 81, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 2003, 6:43 PM CDT for Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 17 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, 6:43 PM CDT (23:43 UTC)
- Expired
- May 1, 2003, 7:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 17 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), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:45 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
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 168 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 816 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -340 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -135 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WUUS54 KTSA 012343 SVRTUL OKC021-020000- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 642 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA * UNTIL 700 PM CDT * AT 642 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FROM COOKSON TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COOKSON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...COOKSON. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE NEAR ITS PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR VERY LARGE HAIL AND STRONG DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. TAKE COVER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. LAT...LON 3579 9489 3574 9514 3566 9512 3565 9489
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, 6:40 PM CDT, 3 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 1, 6:40 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA 640 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 TORNADIC SUPERCELL OVER EASTERN MUSKOGEE AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE WILL MOVE INTO SEQUOYAH COUNTY. THIS IS A RIGHT MOVING STORM AND IS MOVING INTO A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR CONTINUED TORNADIC ACTIVITY. AIRMASS IS STABLIZING SOME AS THE PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY HAS PASSED AND THE CANOPY OF CLOUDS HAS ALSO REDUCING HEATING. ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH EVEN FURTHER AFTER SUNSET. 10 .TSA... AR...NONE. OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 43 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
Special weather statement, May 1, 4:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 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, 1 hour 57 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
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 5:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 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
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:07 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0607 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0555 PM OKAY OK FX TORNADO
05/01/03 WAGONER MOBILE HOME DESTROYED,
OUTBUILDING DESTROYED,
POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
BY SPOTTER
0542 PM 4 W TAHLEQUAH OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0521 PM HULBERT OK 2.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGER
0519 PM 3 N WAGONER OK 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 WAGONER REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:19 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0619 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0611 PM 3 W PANAMA OK 0.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 LE FLORE REPORTED BY SEBASTIAN
COUNTY E.O.C.
0610 PM MUSKOGEE OK FX TORNADO
05/01/03 MUSKOGEE NORTH OF HIHWAY 62.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGER
0605 PM 3 N FORT GIBSON OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY PUBLIC
0559 PM 3 N JAY OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 DELAWARE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:37 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0637 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0634 PM FORT SMITH AR 0.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0631 PM 3 E PANAMA OK 0.88 IN HAIL
05/01/03 LE FLORE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0630 PM 7 S FORT SMITH AR 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASThe 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, 5:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Pushmataha | 44 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, 6:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | LeFlore | 64 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.