Alert archive / Oklahoma / Tornado Watches in 2013

Tornado Watch 252

May 30, 201344 counties in Oklahoma

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 30, 2013, 12:52 PM CDT for 44 counties in Oklahoma. It was in force for 10 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 30, 2013, 12:52 PM CDT (17:52 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2013, 11:00 PM CDT
In force: 10 hr
Issued by: the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected: 3 in
Strongest gust expected: 60 kt

All 44 counties

Atoka County, OK, Bryan County, OK, Caddo County, OK, Canadian County, OK, Carter County, OK, Cleveland County, OK, Coal County, OK, Comanche County, OK, Cotton County, OK, Craig County, OK, Creek County, OK, Garvin County, OK, Grady County, OK, Hughes County, OK, Jefferson County, OK, Johnston County, OK, Kingfisher County, OK, Lincoln County, OK, Logan County, OK, Love County, OK, Marshall County, OK, Mayes County, OK, McClain County, OK, McIntosh County, OK, Murray County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Noble County, OK, Nowata County, OK, Okfuskee County, OK, Oklahoma County, OK, Okmulgee County, OK, Osage County, OK, Pawnee County, OK, Payne County, OK, Pittsburg County, OK, Pontotoc County, OK, Pottawatomie County, OK, Rogers County, OK, Seminole County, OK, Stephens County, OK, Tillman County, OK, Tulsa County, OK, Wagoner County, OK, Washington County, OK

The radar

The Norman radar (KTLX), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:53 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 SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes: 70%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes: 40%
Ten or more severe wind reports: 40%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more: 10%
Ten or more severe hail reports: 80%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more: 60%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports: 95%

Warnings issued inside it

69 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 1:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Canadian, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma	46 min
May 30, 1:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Noble	10 min
May 30, 1:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo, Grady	52 min
May 30, 1:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata, Washington	36 min
May 30, 1:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	61 min
May 30, 1:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garfield, Kingfisher, Logan, Noble, Payne	43 min
May 30, 1:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Kingfisher, Logan	40 min
May 30, 1:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	39 min
May 30, 2:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo, Grady	39 min
May 30, 2:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Logan, Payne	47 min
May 30, 2:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	31 min
May 30, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Grady, McClain	51 min
May 30, 2:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo, Comanche	48 min
May 30, 2:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Payne	63 min
May 30, 2:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Washington	46 min
May 30, 3:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Logan, Noble, Payne	46 min
May 30, 3:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Grady, McClain	42 min
May 30, 3:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Nowata, Osage, Rogers, Tulsa, Washington	63 min
May 30, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Caddo, Comanche, Grady	43 min
May 30, 3:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Creek, Pawnee	58 min
May 30, 3:43 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Payne	4 hr
May 30, 3:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Payne	41 min
May 30, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Cleveland, McClain	48 min
May 30, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady, Stephens	67 min
May 30, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers	47 min
May 30, 4:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche	38 min
May 30, 4:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa	62 min
May 30, 4:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Rogers	27 min
May 30, 4:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady, Stephens	54 min
May 30, 4:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Pottawatomie	50 min
May 30, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Ottawa, Rogers	54 min
May 30, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Kingfisher, Logan	51 min
May 30, 4:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady, Stephens	31 min
May 30, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Mayes	45 min
May 30, 5:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Jefferson	46 min
May 30, 5:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Tulsa, Wagoner	61 min
May 30, 5:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Grady, Murray, Stephens	60 min
May 30, 5:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Jefferson	44 min
May 30, 5:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Grady, Stephens	53 min
May 30, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	66 min
May 30, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Logan, Payne	41 min
May 30, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Mayes	45 min
May 30, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Jefferson, Love	64 min
May 30, 5:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Murray, Stephens	63 min
May 30, 6:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Payne	39 min
May 30, 6:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Carter, Jefferson, Love	43 min
May 30, 6:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	56 min
May 30, 6:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Murray	67 min
May 30, 6:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Mayes, Wagoner	36 min
May 30, 6:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Love	62 min
May 30, 7:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Garvin, Grady, McClain, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie	56 min
May 30, 7:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Osage, Pawnee, Tulsa	55 min
May 30, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Love	37 min
May 30, 7:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes	49 min
May 30, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, Murray, Pontotoc	45 min
May 30, 7:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Garvin, Murray	23 min
May 30, 7:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Osage, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner	53 min
May 30, 8:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, Murray	25 min
May 30, 8:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, McClain	35 min
May 30, 8:10 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Rogers, Tulsa and 1 more	6 hr
May 30, 8:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes	33 min
May 30, 8:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, McClain, Murray	63 min
May 30, 8:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Mayes, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner	57 min
May 30, 8:34 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Garvin	3 hr
May 30, 8:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Delaware, Mayes	53 min
May 30, 8:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Tulsa, Wagoner	37 min
May 30, 8:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, Johnston, Murray, Pontotoc	51 min
May 30, 9:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Cherokee, Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner	40 min
May 30, 9:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Atoka, Coal, Johnston, Murray, Pontotoc	62 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 27 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: 2281 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 542 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 366 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 703 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 4.2
Supercell composite: 22.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

128 
WWUS20 KWNS 301754
SEL2  
SPC WW 301754
OKZ000-310300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 252
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1255 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA

* EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1255 PM
  UNTIL 1000 PM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  SEVERAL INTENSE TORNADOES POSSIBLE
  SEVERAL VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER LIKELY
  SEVERAL DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST OF WICHITA FALLS
TEXAS TO 25 MILES NORTH OF TULSA OKLAHOMA.  FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 250...WW 251...

DISCUSSION...TRAILING EXTENSION OF MCS OVER N-CNTRL OK HAS RECENTLY
INTENSIFIED AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO TRACK ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OVER
NERN OK.  MEANWHILE...ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG THE
DRYLINE INTO CNTRL OK WHERE THE CAP HAS BECOME WEAK WITH MLCAPE OF
2000-3000 J/KG.  GIVEN THE STRONG DEEP-LAYER SHEAR IN PLACE AND AT
LEAST MODESTLY STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR
INTENSE SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF VERY LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.  A FEW
OF THE TORNADOES COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27025.


...MEAD

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 29, 7:36 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Beaver, Beckham, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Greer and 11 more	84 min
May 29, 10:25 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Atoka, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Creek and 21 more	65 min
May 29, 10:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	Adair, Atoka, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian and 48 more	7 hr
May 30, 3:18 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Atoka, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Creek and 21 more	87 min
May 30, 11:44 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Haskell, LeFlore and 8 more	91 min
May 30, 12:20 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton and 20 more	2 hr
May 30, 1:21 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer and 5 more	8 hr
May 30, 2:35 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Adair, Atoka, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cleveland and 38 more	55 min
May 30, 5:23 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and 1 more	2 hr
May 30, 5:52 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Atoka, Carter, Cherokee, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche and 29 more	113 min
May 30, 3:34 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath and 1 more	116 min
May 30, 2:51 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Fannin, Grayson and 12 more	6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2013 Every tornado watch in 2013

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.