Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Norman, OK

March 18, 2012Beckham County, Greer County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 18, 2012, 7:27 PM CDT for Beckham County, Greer County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 33 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 18, 2012, 7:27 PM CDT (00:27 UTC)
Expired
Mar 18, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Beckham County, OK, Greer County, OK

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:29 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 18, 7:27 PM CDTTORNADO3 Wnw Willow, OKTIME AND LOCATION APPROXIMATE
Mar 18, 7:37 PM CDTTORNADO5 Nw Willow, OKTIME AND LOCATION APPROXIMATE

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 18, 3:12 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 191 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 832 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 2012-03-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 199 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
832 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
874 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
199 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

604 
WFUS54 KOUN 190027
TOROUN
OKC009-055-190100-
/O.NEW.KOUN.TO.W.0003.120319T0027Z-120319T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
727 PM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN BECKHAM COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...
  EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL GREER COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 724 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS 
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WILLOW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CARTER AND WILLOW. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE 
LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE 
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND 
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

THIS TORNADO IS LIKELY OBSCURED BY RAIN AND MAY NOT BE VISIBLE. DO 
NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW. 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 3523 9950 3519 9936 3502 9950 3508 9963
TIME...MOT...LOC 0024Z 223DEG 21KT 3507 9956 

$$

WR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 18, 7:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNWashita24 min
Mar 18, 7:42 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNBeckham, Greer, Kiowa, Washita33 min
Mar 18, 8:00 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNBeckham, Washita38 min
Mar 18, 10:03 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNRoger Mills27 min
Mar 18, 11:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNRoger Mills, Woodward29 min
Mar 19, 2:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Ellis, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Roger Mills51 min
Mar 19, 2:28 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNEllis, Harper32 min
Mar 19, 3:03 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNEllis, Harper27 min
Mar 19, 3:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchOUNAtoka, Bryan, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Garvin and 13 more32 hr
Mar 19, 3:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Comanche, Custer, Dewey, Greer, Harmon and 5 more58 min
Mar 19, 3:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNDewey, Ellis, Harper, Major, Roger Mills, Woods and 1 more40 min
Mar 19, 3:59 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAlfalfa, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Kingfisher, Major46 min
Mar 19, 4:35 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAlfalfa, Blaine, Kingfisher, Major40 min
Mar 19, 5:17 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNGarfield, Grant, Kingfisher43 min
Mar 19, 6:03 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNKay, Logan, Noble57 min
Mar 19, 6:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNGarfield, Grant, Kay, Noble24 min
Mar 19, 7:06 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNKay24 min
Mar 19, 9:13 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNCotton47 min
Mar 19, 9:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Cotton, Grady, Stephens48 min
Mar 19, 10:11 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOUNCleveland, Oklahoma3 hr
Mar 19, 10:59 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNCleveland31 min
Mar 19, 11:22 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOUNCanadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain and 2 more6 hr
Mar 19, 12:06 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNSeminole24 min
Mar 19, 1:05 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOUNStephens3 hr
Mar 19, 2:06 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningOUNPottawatomie, Seminole18 hr
Mar 19, 2:20 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNHughes25 min
Mar 19, 2:32 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNStephens28 min
Mar 19, 4:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNLove32 min
Mar 19, 4:57 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningOUNOklahoma4 hr
Mar 19, 5:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNJohnston, Marshall49 min
Mar 19, 6:39 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNHughes36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.