Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 42, NWS Norman, OK

May 29, 2004Blaine County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at May 29, 2004, 6:39 PM CDT for Blaine County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 36 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 29, 2004, 6:39 PM CDT (23:39 UTC)
Expired: May 29, 2004, 7:15 PM CDT
In force: 36 min
Issued by: NWS Norman, OK
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Blaine County, OK

The radar

The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:40 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 29, 2:55 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 115 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: 1834 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -69 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 759 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 226 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 310 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 10.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KOUN 292339
TOROKC
OKC011-300015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
638 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN BLAINE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 638 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM SPOTTERS OBSERVED A TORNADO
  23 MILES WEST OF GREENFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE GREENFIELD

IN ADDITION TO A TORNADO THREAT... THIS STORM LIKELY CONTAINS
DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS OR LARGER.

THIS TORNADO IS LIKELY OBSCURED BY RAIN AND MAY NOT BE VISIBLE.
ABANDON MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. IF POSSIBLE... MOVE TO A BASEMENT
OR STORM SHELTER. OTHERWISE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3579 9863 3561 9862 3559 9837 3577 9837

$$

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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 29, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 29, 1:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

.DISCUSSION...
THE LARGE SCALE UPPER TROUGH THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THIS EVENINGS SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE EAST OF THE
STATE. ONCE THE DRYLINE MERGES WITH THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT, IT IS
EXPECTED TO BE LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING BEFORE IT CLEARS
SOUTHEAST OK. A COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS WILL HOLD OVER OK THROUGH
MONDAY AS THE SURFACE RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.

A WEAK UPPER WAVE IS EXPECTED TO BRUSH NORTHEAST OF OK TUESDAY
BRINGING A SECOND FRONT AND THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN. UPSLOPE BOUNDARY
LAYER FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WILL
KEEP A MENTION OF RAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEK, ALTHOUGH
DAILY CHANGES APPEAR SUBTLE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  68  86  56  86 /  50  20  10  10
HOBART OK         63  86  55  88 /  20  10  10  10
WICHITA FALLS TX  69  91  59  91 /  40  20  10  10
GAGE OK           55  80  49  86 /  10  10  10  10
PONCA CITY OK     67  83  50  83 /  80  20  10  10
DURANT OK         74  93  62  87 /  80  30  20  20

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 29, 12:13 PM CDT, 6 hours 26 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1213 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-301200-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. A MODERATE
RISK EXISTS OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

LOCATION...
THE HIGH RISK AREA COVERS LOCATIONS EAST AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM
ALVA...TO WEATHERFORD...GUTHRIE...AND STILLWATER.

TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE HIGH RISK AREA...THERE IS A MODERATE
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF A LINE FROM WOODWARD...TO
FREDERICK...TO WICHITA FALLS...TO HENRIETTA TEXAS.

THERE REMAINS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH AND WEST
OF THE MODERATE RISK AREA...OVER THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA
AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

TIMING...
THE MOST LIKELY TIME WILL BE FROM 2 TO 11 PM.

IMPACTS...
DAMAGE TO AUTOMOBILES...ROOFS...AND VEGETATION FROM LARGE HAIL.
VIOLENT THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS AT OR ABOVE 80 MPH...AND SIGNIFICANT
TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER.

EVERYONE IN OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS IS ENCOURAGED TO REMAIN ALERT
DURING THEIR HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL. KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE
CURRENT WEATHER FORECAST...AND PLAN AHEAD ON WHAT YOU WILL DO IF A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO APPROACHES YOUR AREA.

DISCUSSION...
A DRYLINE WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN THIRD OF OKLAHOMA...AND
POSSIBLY PORTIONS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...DURING MID AND LATE
AFTERNOON. AS THE ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO DESTABILIZE...CONVERGENCE
ALONG THE DRYLINE IS EXPECTED TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT DURING THE MID AND LATE AFTERNOON. FIRST THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA...WHERE LIFT
ALONG THE DRYLINE WILL BE GREATEST.

ONCE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP...THEY WILL MOVE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35
MPH...AND SHOULD RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE. THE COMBINATION OF AN
EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...WILL ALLOW
SUPERCELLS TO QUICKLY DEVELOP...WITH EXTREMELY LARGE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGH RISK AREA...WHERE LIFT
ALONG THE DRYLINE WILL BE STRONGEST...AND LOWER LEVEL WIND SHEAR WILL
BE HIGHEST.

FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE DRYLINE...WHICH WOULD INCLUDE SOUTHWEST
OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT MAY BE
DELAYED UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON...DUE TO A STRONGER CAP. BUT IF STORMS
CAN DEVELOP IN THESE AREAS...SUPERCELLS WILL ALSO QUICKLY
DEVELOP...WITH EXTREMELY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS...AND TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE.

THE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35
WILL BE GREATEST DURING THE EVENING...AS THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM
ALONG THE DRYLINE...MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE AREA.

AFTER MIDNIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL CATCH UP WITH THE DRYLINE...AND
MAY SUPPORT ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT. THESE STORMS
MAY DEVELOP INTO A SQUALL LINE WITH SEVERE WEATHER PRIMARILY BEING
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED SUPERCELLS WILL
STILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG WITH THE RISK OF TORNADOES.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SUNDAY MAY 30.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...70 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...100 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY...MAINLY
SOUTHEAST OF THE COLD FRONT. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER SUNDAY WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST MONDAY AND
TUESDAY IN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS PERSIST ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA WEDNESDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 7 AM
SUNDAY.

JAMES

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 29, 5:56 PM CDT, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
556 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0555 PM     HAIL             8 S TALOGA              35.92N 98.96W
05/29/2004  2.75 INCH        DEWEY              OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JLP/KAT

Local storm report, May 29, 6:11 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
611 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0609 PM     HAIL             5 W CUSTER CITY         35.66N 98.98W
05/29/2004  2.00 INCH        CUSTER             OK   PUBLIC

&&

JLP/KAT

Local storm report, May 29, 6:21 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
621 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0616 PM     HAIL             6 NW CUSTER CITY        35.73N 98.96W
05/29/2004  1.75 INCH        CUSTER             OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JLP/KAT

Local storm report, May 29, 6:26 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
626 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0623 PM     HAIL             THOMAS                  35.75N 98.75W
05/29/2004  2.50 INCH        CUSTER             OK   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

JLP/KAT

Local storm report, May 29, 6:28 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
628 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0627 PM     HAIL             5 W THOMAS              35.75N 98.84W
05/29/2004  2.50 INCH        CUSTER             OK   PUBLIC

&&

JLP/KAT

Local storm report, May 29, 6:34 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
634 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     HAIL             1 E HUCMAC              36.05N 98.76W
05/29/2004  0.88 INCH        DEWEY              OK   PUBLIC

&&

JLP/KAT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 29, 3:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Roger Mills	43 min
May 29, 4:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Roger Mills	29 min
May 29, 4:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Woods	51 min
May 29, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Dewey, Roger Mills	47 min
May 29, 4:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Woodward	47 min
May 29, 5:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Beckham, Custer, Washita	40 min
May 29, 5:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Dewey, Major	47 min
May 29, 5:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Dewey	35 min
May 29, 5:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Woods	34 min
May 29, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Custer	30 min
May 29, 6:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Blaine, Custer, Dewey	45 min
May 29, 6:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Alfalfa, Major	42 min
May 29, 6:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Custer	26 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 2004 Every tornado warning in 2004 Tornadoes in 2004

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.