Alert archive / Oklahoma / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Norman, OK

April 30, 2025Cotton County, Oklahoma

NWS Norman, OK issued this flash flood warning at Apr 30, 2025, 3:05 AM CDT for Cotton County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 6 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 30, 2025, 3:05 AM CDT (08:05 UTC)
Expired: Apr 30, 2025, 9:15 AM CDT
In force: 6 hr
Issued by: NWS Norman, OK
Area: Storm-based polygon
Damage threat: Considerable
Flood severity: None

County Cotton County, OK

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:07 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 136 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: 285 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -145 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 585 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 286 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Apr 30, 12:14 AM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Issued at 153 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025 -Potentially life-threatening flash flood/flood threat through Wednesday. -Severe thunderstorms with all hazards possible through Wednesday. -Unsettled weather will moderate over the weekend.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 12:14 AM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1214 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 153 PM CDT Sat Apr 26 2025

-Potentially life-threatening flash flood/flood threat through
Wednesday.

-Severe thunderstorms with all hazards possible through Wednesday.

-Unsettled weather will moderate over the weekend.

&&

.NEAR TERM...
(Today and tonight)
Issued at 1213 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Significant flash flooding and severe thunderstorms (all hazards)
continue to be the headlines in the short term.

As one round of showers and storms moves out, we can see the next
round developing in north and west Texas. In general, CAMs seem to
be running on the slow side. While CAMs suggest a break in storms,
radar trends suggest there may not be much of a break. Thus far, 24-
hr rainfall amounts have been 1 to 2.5 inches along the I-44
corridor with locally higher amounts. Another 1 to 3 inches is
expected over the next 12-18 hours, mainly over southern Oklahoma
and north Texas. This is on top of an area that already has numerous
flash flood warnings.

As mentioned in the previous AFD, all other convective hazards
remain possible-especially south of the boundary. Those hazards will
be dictated by convective mode...with the best chance of
discrete/supercell storms over the Red River Valley and points
south. Otherwise, convective segments/clusters also have readily
produced damaging wind gusts within this airmass.

CAMs depict the last round Wednesday afternoon / evening. This round
appears to be more progressive and much smaller in areal extent,
though confidence in CAM predictions out this far is low due to
effects from convection between now and then.

Day

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Thursday through Friday night)
Issued at 1213 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Thursday should give us a brief lull in rain, with another wave (and
associated rain chances) moving through Thursday night into Friday
morning. Thursday should be mostly sunny and mild. Friday will be
mostly cloudy and slightly cooler.

Day

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Saturday through Tuesday)
Issued at 1213 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Low amplitude ridging aloft will briefly influence our weather into
the weekend before another western U.S. storm system deepens during
the Sunday/Monday timeframe with some signals of unsettled weather
for the southern Plains again by the first half of next work week.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1213 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Rounds of showers and thunderstorms (with some uncertainty in
timing) continue across the forecast area through at least Wednesday
morning. Periods of reduced visibilities and MVFR (and sometimes
IFR) ceilings will also continue through this time period.
Outflow from storm activity will likely keep surface winds
variable in direction.

Day

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  71  55  78  56 / 100  60  10  60
Hobart OK         71  51  78  55 /  80  50   0  60
Wichita Falls TX  75  53  80  58 /  90  40   0  50
Gage OK           72  47  76  50 /  50  30  20  60
Ponca City OK     71  55  77  54 /  90  60  20  50
Durant OK         74  60  82  61 / 100  60   0  40

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...Flood Watch through late tonight for OKZ008-012-013-016>048-
     050>052.

TX...Flood Watch through late tonight for TXZ083>090.

&&

NEAR TERM...14
SHORT TERM...14
LONG TERM....14
AVIATION...14

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 1:36 AM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 2:14 AM CDT, 51 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Apr 30, 2:36 AM CDT, 29 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Apr 30, 2:39 AM CDT, 26 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:00 AM CDT, 5 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:05 AM CDT, 0 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Norman OK
305 AM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

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

0625 PM     Hail             Knox City               33.41N 99.81W
04/29/2025  E1.75 Inch       Knox               TX   Public

            Spotternetwork report.

&&

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 29, 7:05 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman	6 hr
Apr 29, 7:05 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Jackson	25 min
Apr 29, 7:12 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan, McClain and 1 more	8 hr
Apr 29, 7:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Jackson, Tillman	47 min
Apr 29, 7:14 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Logan	46 min
Apr 29, 7:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Tillman	27 min
Apr 29, 7:41 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman	9 hr
Apr 29, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Noble, Payne	45 min
Apr 29, 7:50 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens, Tillman	8 hr
Apr 29, 7:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Kiowa, Tillman	38 min
Apr 29, 7:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Cotton	38 min
Apr 29, 7:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Tillman	17 min
Apr 29, 8:04 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Payne	41 min
Apr 29, 8:17 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Tillman	4 hr
Apr 29, 8:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Cotton	26 min
Apr 29, 8:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Cotton	21 min
Apr 29, 8:26 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	OUN	Atoka	4 days
Apr 29, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Cotton	33 min
Apr 29, 8:31 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Logan	29 min
Apr 29, 8:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens	25 min
Apr 29, 8:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Jefferson	36 min
Apr 29, 8:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens	49 min
Apr 29, 8:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Stephens	33 min
Apr 29, 9:14 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Garvin, Grady, Jefferson and 2 more	3 hr
Apr 29, 9:19 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma	3 hr
Apr 29, 9:27 PM CDT	River Flood Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady	47 hr
Apr 29, 9:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Carter, Comanche, Garvin, Grady, Jefferson, Love and 3 more	46 min
Apr 29, 9:40 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Lincoln, Logan, Payne	3 hr
Apr 29, 9:55 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Garvin, McClain, Murray, Pottawatomie	2 hr
Apr 29, 10:11 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Logan, Payne	3 hr
Apr 29, 10:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Pottawatomie	27 min
Apr 29, 10:23 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Cleveland, Logan, Oklahoma	3 hr
Apr 29, 10:25 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Love	35 min
Apr 29, 10:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Love	48 min
Apr 29, 11:10 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Garvin, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, Pontotoc and 2 more	3 hr
Apr 29, 11:13 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Hughes, Seminole	32 min
Apr 29, 11:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Love	24 min
Apr 29, 11:55 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Love	3 hr
Apr 30, 12:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Love	38 min
Apr 30, 12:26 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Cotton	34 min
Apr 30, 12:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Tillman	46 min
Apr 30, 12:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Love	30 min
Apr 30, 1:19 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Tillman	5 hr
Apr 30, 1:36 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Tillman	24 min
Apr 30, 1:38 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Caddo	3 hr
Apr 30, 2:14 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Cotton	31 min
Apr 30, 2:26 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OUN	Payne	54 hr
Apr 30, 2:26 AM CDT	River Flood Advisory	OUN	Logan	13 hr
Apr 30, 2:27 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens	7 hr
Apr 30, 2:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens	41 min
Apr 30, 3:25 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma	3 hr
Apr 30, 3:32 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Garvin, Grady, Stephens	3 hr
Apr 30, 3:34 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Stephens	41 min
Apr 30, 3:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Grady, Murray, Stephens	50 min
Apr 30, 4:11 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Carter, Cotton, Garvin, Grady, Jefferson, McClain and 1 more	6 hr
Apr 30, 4:27 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Caddo, Comanche, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman	5 hr
Apr 30, 4:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Garvin, McClain	24 min
Apr 30, 4:34 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Garvin, McClain, Murray, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie	11 hr
Apr 30, 4:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman	48 min
Apr 30, 5:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman	49 min
Apr 30, 5:21 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cotton, Tillman	3 hr
Apr 30, 5:24 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Seminole	10 hr
Apr 30, 5:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Stephens	40 min
Apr 30, 5:55 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Kiowa, Stephens, Tillman	3 hr
Apr 30, 6:20 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Cotton, Garvin, Jefferson, Stephens	40 min
Apr 30, 6:33 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OUN	Comanche, Cotton, Tillman	4 hr
Apr 30, 6:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OUN	Carter, Garvin, Jefferson, Murray, Stephens	50 min
Apr 30, 7:02 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Grady, McClain, Stephens	3 hr
Apr 30, 7:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray, Pontotoc	43 min
Apr 30, 8:05 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OUN	Cleveland, Lincoln, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie	7 hr
Apr 30, 8:08 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Coal, Hughes, Johnston, Pontotoc, Seminole	67 min
Apr 30, 8:10 AM CDT	River Flood Advisory	OUN	Oklahoma	6 hr
Apr 30, 8:10 AM CDT	River Flood Advisory	OUN	Canadian, Oklahoma	25 hr
Apr 30, 8:11 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OUN	Lincoln, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie	30 hr
Apr 30, 8:12 AM CDT	River Flood Advisory	OUN	Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Grady	25 hr
Apr 30, 8:31 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Atoka, Bryan, Johnston, Marshall	59 min
Apr 30, 8:45 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OUN	Garvin, Murray	18 hr
Apr 30, 8:59 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OUN	Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Jackson, Jefferson and 3 more	34 hr
Apr 30, 9:07 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OUN	Canadian, Cleveland, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma	3 hr
Apr 30, 9:10 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OUN	Coal, Hughes, Seminole	65 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Oklahoma, 2025 Every flash flood warning in 2025

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.