Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 54, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 10, 2003Haskell County, Muskogee County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 10, 2003, 2:25 PM CDT for Haskell County, Muskogee County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 65 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, 2:25 PM CDT (19:25 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2003, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Haskell County, OK, Muskogee County, OK

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:28 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 tornado 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 10, 11:55 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 208 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 12:00Z on 2003-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1867 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 12:00Z on 2003-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 296 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
1867 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
689 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
296 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.5
Supercell composite
12.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

697 
WFUS54 KTSA 101925
TORTUL
OKC061-101-102030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
224 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR
  SOUTHEASTERN MUSKOGEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA   
  HASKELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 330 PM CDT

* AT 224 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH
  STRONG ROTATION 15 MILES WEST OF ENTERPRISE...MOVING EAST AT 45
  MPH. THIS DANGEROUS STORM COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...STIGLER...
  ENTERPRISE...WHITEFIELD...KEOTA...TAMAHA...BRIARTOWN...PORUM...
  WARNER AND WEBBERS FALLS.

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW IF NO
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS 
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LAT...LON 3527 9481 3519 9510 3516 9534 3518 9545
          3531 9545 3531 9534 3551 9534 3561 9516
          3554 9514 3546 9506 3544 9497 3537 9489
          3538 9486 3534 9481

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at May 10, 2:05 PM CDT, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 2:05 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
205 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

A LARGE HEAVY PRECIPITATION SUPERCELL HAS EVOLVED IN SOUTHEAST
OKALHOMA.  TWO MORE CLASSIC SUPERCELLS WERE MOVING ACROSS FAR
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

RECENT LOW-LEVEL STORM-RELATIVE HELICITY ANALYSIS FOR THE 3 CELLS IS
RATHER LOW AT THIS TIME.  HOWEVER BRIEF TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHERN STORM.

VERY LARGE HAIL POTENTIAL EXISTS WITH THE SUPERCELL MOVING INTO
MCINTOSH AND PITTSBURG CO.

FORECAST ID=08

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE
Hazardous weather outlook, May 10, 1:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-111100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 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

...NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
   EVENING...

EARLY THIS AFTERNOON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING ALONG A WIND
SHIFT LINE FROM NEAR BARTLESVILLE TO JUST EAST OF OKLAHOMA CITY TO
WITCHITA FALLS.  THIS LINE WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST OUT OF THE
DESERT SOUTHWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS.  THIS UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM
WILL DRIVE A COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING
BRINGING AN END TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

RICH MOISTURE...EXTREME INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE WIND FIELDS WILL
LEAD TO SOME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
VERY LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.  A SQUALL LINE WILL EVENTUALLY EVOLVE
FROM THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS AND IT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ALSO
PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS.

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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS WILL KEEP THE WEATHER QUIET FOR SUNDAY
AND MONDAY BEFORE THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS BY AROUND
TUESDAY.  MOISTURE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE ON THE INCREASE WITH WARMER
TEMPERATURES AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGH AT
LEAST WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING.  SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS VERY CLOSELY TODAY.

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 10, 12:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053>076-110000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1200 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #338 UNTIL 700
PM CDT SATURDAY 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 25 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:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG
PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BARTLESVILLE...BENTONVILLE...
BERRYVILLE...BRISTOW...BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...
CLAYTON...EUFAULA...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...
HUGO...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.
Local storm report, May 10, 2:24 PM CDT, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0224 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

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

0219 PM    7 E HANNA                 OK   2.75 IN HAIL
05/10/03   MCINTOSH

SP

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, 2:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACherokee56 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, 2:37 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

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 2003Every tornado warning in 2003Tornadoes 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.