Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 33, NWS Norman, OK

April 15, 2012Ellis County, Harper County, Woodward County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 2012, 12:00 AM CDT for Ellis County, Harper County, Woodward County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 30 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
Apr 15, 2012, 12:00 AM CDT (05:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 2012, 12:30 AM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Norman, OK
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Ellis County, OK, Harper County, OK, Woodward County, OK

The radar

The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 130 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:59 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
Apr 15, 12:18 AM CDTTORNADO 3Woodward, OK*** 6 FATAL, 29 INJ *** THE TORNADO BEGIN AROUND 2350 CDT 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARNETT AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST INTO WOODWARD COUNTY. THE TORNADO MOVED INTO THE SOUTHWEST SIDES OF THE CITY LIMITS OF WOODWARD AROUND 0018 CDT, AND EXITED ON THE NORTH-NORTHWEST SID
Apr 15, 12:18 AM CDTTORNADOWoodward, OKMULTIPLE REORTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

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
Apr 14, 5:24 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 155 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2712 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 369 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2712 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1140 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
84 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
369 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
445 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
6.0
Supercell composite
30.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

970 
WFUS54 KOUN 150500
TOROUN
OKC045-059-153-150530-
/O.NEW.KOUN.TO.W.0033.120415T0500Z-120415T0530Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1200 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN HARPER COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA...
  WOODWARD COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA...
  EXTREME NORTHEASTERN ELLIS COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA...

* UNTIL 1230 AM CDT

* AT 1159 PM CDT...TRAINED STORM SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 7 
  MILES SOUTHEAST OF GAGE. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WOODWARD...FARGO AND TANGIER. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

GET IN...GET DOWN AND COVER UP. TAKE COVER NOW IN A STORM SHELTER 
OR AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A STURDY BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND 
WINDOWS.

THE TORNADO WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DARK. DO NOT 
WAIT. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 3663 9953 3641 9915 3614 9961 3624 9980
TIME...MOT...LOC 0459Z 214DEG 41KT 3625 9965 

$$

AUSTIN
1 follow-up statement
266 
WWUS54 KOUN 150508
SVSOUN
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1208 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

OKC045-059-153-150530-
/O.CON.KOUN.TO.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120415T0530Z/
HARPER OK-WOODWARD OK-ELLIS OK-
1208 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1230 AM CDT FOR 
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN HARPER...WOODWARD AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN 
ELLIS COUNTIES...

AT 1204 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS AND STORM 
SPOTTERS WERE TRACKING A TORNADO WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FARGO...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WOODWARD...MOORELAND...FARGO AND TANGIER. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

GET IN...GET DOWN AND COVER UP. TAKE COVER NOW IN A STORM SHELTER 
OR AN INTERIOR ROOM OF A STURDY BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND 
WINDOWS.

THE TORNADO WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN THE DARK. DO NOT 
WAIT. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 3663 9953 3641 9915 3617 9956 3630 9976
TIME...MOT...LOC 0504Z 214DEG 41KT 3630 9961 

$$

AUSTIN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 7:06 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNAlfalfa, Woods54 min
Apr 14, 7:09 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNMajor, Woods36 min
Apr 14, 7:35 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNAlfalfa, Woods40 min
Apr 14, 8:07 PM CDTTornado WarningOUNAlfalfa38 min
Apr 14, 10:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis, Harper, Woods, Woodward40 min
Apr 14, 10:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis, Roger Mills, Woodward49 min
Apr 14, 11:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis, Harper, Woods, Woodward62 min
Apr 14, 11:19 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAlfalfa, Beckham, Dewey56 min
Apr 14, 11:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon and 3 more64 min
Apr 14, 11:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNEllis, Roger Mills, Woodward37 min
Apr 15, 12:03 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNBeckham, Roger Mills27 min
Apr 15, 12:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Ellis, Harper, Major, Woods, Woodward59 min
Apr 15, 12:16 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNEllis, Harper, Woodward29 min
Apr 15, 12:33 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNCuster, Dewey, Roger Mills42 min
Apr 15, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBeckham, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer, Harmon and 5 more66 min
Apr 15, 12:42 AM CDTTornado WarningOUNHarper, Woods, Woodward33 min
Apr 15, 1:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAlfalfa, Dewey, Grant, Major, Woods, Woodward60 min
Apr 15, 1:29 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNBlaine, Caddo, Kingfisher, Tillman61 min
Apr 15, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Custer, Dewey and 3 more54 min
Apr 15, 1:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman64 min
Apr 15, 2:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBlaine, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Grady, Kingfisher and 3 more56 min
Apr 15, 2:37 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNLincoln, McClain, Payne, Pottawatomie68 min
Apr 15, 2:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNComanche, Cotton, Grady, Jefferson, Stephens, Tillman45 min
Apr 15, 3:06 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNKay, Noble24 min
Apr 15, 3:36 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNGrady, Kay, Logan, McClain, Noble, Oklahoma and 1 more54 min
Apr 15, 3:40 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNJefferson, Stephens65 min
Apr 15, 4:35 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNCleveland, Garvin, Lincoln, Payne, Pottawatomie, Seminole55 min
Apr 15, 4:37 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNCarter, Garvin, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray and 1 more53 min
Apr 15, 5:36 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNCoal, Hughes, Pontotoc, Seminole54 min
Apr 15, 6:52 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAtoka, Coal, Hughes23 min
Apr 15, 7:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNBryan52 min
Apr 15, 8:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOUNAtoka48 min
Apr 15, 9:03 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNBryan27 min
Apr 15, 9:34 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOUNAtoka26 min
Apr 15, 11:00 AM CDTWind AdvisoryOUNAlfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Ellis and 11 more6 hr

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.