Alert archive / Oklahoma / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 97, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 4, 2003Muskogee County, Wagoner County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 2003, 4:45 PM CDT for Muskogee County, Wagoner County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 45 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 4, 2003, 4:45 PM CDT (21:45 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2003, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Muskogee County, OK, Wagoner County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:46 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.

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 4, 12:35 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 2003-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1741 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 2003-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 341 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1741 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
724 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
341 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
365 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
31.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KTSA 042145
SVRTUL
OKC101-145-042230-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
444 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN MUSKOGEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  WAGONER COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT

* AT 444 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 14
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOYNTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...WAGONER...
  TULLAHASSEE...PORTER...OKAY...COWETA...MUSKOGEE...BOYNTON...TAFT
  AND HASKELL.

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 65 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 3557 9572 3556 9556 3569 9538 3606 9520
          3607 9568 3577 9574

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 4, 4:11 PM CDT, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 4:11 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
410 PM AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THUNDERSTORMS EXPLODING ACROSS OSAGE COUNTY WERE QUICKLY BECOMING
SUPERCELLS.  ADDITIONAL SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE DURING THE
NEXT HOUR INTO SOUTHERN OSAGE COUNTY AND PERHAPS PAWNEE COUNTY.
THESE CELLS WILL LIKELY REMAIN CLASSIC SUPERCELLS AND HAVE A THREAT
FOR TORNADOES.  THE THREAT FOR STORNG TORNADOES WILL INCREASE AS THE
STORMS MOVE INTO THE BETTER LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE ENVIRONMENT  FURTHER
EAST INTO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE.

THE STORMS DEVELOPING FURTHER SOUTH ARE FORMING NEAR A MID-LEVEL JET
SEGMENT AND WITHIN THE ASSOCIATED CIRRUS.  THE CELL MODE WILL BE
HARD TO CALL AS THE FASTER MID-LEVEL SPEEDS WILL BE OFFSET BY THE
NATURAL SEEDING FROM THE ANVILS.  RADAR TRENDS SUGGEST A POSSIBLE HP
EVENT DEVELOPING WITH THESE STORMS.

FORECAST ID= 8

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 1:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 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 THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT
THIS AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WILL SHIFT EAST INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS TODAY. AS A RESULT...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE HAS DEVELOPED OVER
NORTHWEST KANSAS AS THE MORNING PROGRESSED.  A WARM FRONT EXTENDING
EASTWARD FROM THE SYSTEM HAS LIFTED TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA...WHILE
A DRYLINE EXTENDS TO THE SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN
TEXAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE EASTWARD TODAY
INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP ALONG/JUST AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE BY MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON...AND WILL QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE. STORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS BY THE EARLY
EVENING HOURS. WIND FIELDS AT THE SURFACE AND ABOVE THE GROUND ARE
FAVORABLE FOR STORMS TO ROTATE AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES AND VERY LARGE HAIL. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BEGIN TO
DIMINISH LATER THIS EVENING AS THE SURFACE DRYLINE AND STORMS SHIFT
EAST OF THE REGION. THIS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...PLEASE
SEE THE LATEST /OKCPNSTUL/ TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
RULES.

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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL MONDAY BEFORE THE NEXT CHANCE
OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS ON TUESDAY.  UNSETTLED WEATHER IS THEN
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH AT LEAST
A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING.

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 12:41 PM CDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ054>076-050000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1241 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #232 UNTIL 700
PM CDT SUNDAY 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 23 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:

HASKELL               LATIMER               LE FLORE
MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARTLESVILLE...BENTONVILLE...
BERRYVILLE...BRISTOW...BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...
EUFAULA...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUNTSVILLE...
JAY...MCALESTER...MIAMI...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...
NOWATA...OKEMAH...OKMULGEE...OZARK...PAWHUSKA...PAWNEE...POTEAU...
PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SAND SPRINGS...SILOAM SPRINGS...
SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN BUREN...
VINITA...WAGONER AND WILBURTON.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP SUDDENLY FROM
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR
THE LATEST ON THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. ADDITIONAL WEATHER
INFORMATION...INCLUDING RELATED GRAPHICS CAN BE FOUND AT:
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
OKZ049-053-050200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
304 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #234 UNTIL 900
PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 2 COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...CLAYTON AND HUGO.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Washington67 min
May 4, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMcIntosh66 min
May 4, 4:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg64 min
May 4, 4:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOsage, Washington53 min
May 4, 4:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAOkfuskee, Okmulgee51 min
May 4, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSANowata, Washington48 min
May 4, 4:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAPittsburg38 min
May 4, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACraig, Nowata47 min
May 4, 4:53 PM CDTTornado WarningTSANowata37 min
May 4, 5:03 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAPittsburg57 min
May 4, 5:09 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACraig36 min
May 4, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACherokee, Mayes47 min
May 4, 5:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSADelaware50 min
May 4, 5:25 PM CDTTornado WarningTSALatimer65 min
May 4, 5:38 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACraig, Ottawa37 min
May 4, 5:57 PM CDTTornado WarningTSALeFlore63 min
May 4, 6:03 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAOttawa42 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.