Oklahoma, 1997

Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, May 29 to 30, 1997

May 29 to 30, 1997 · NWS OUN · 16 events in 8 counties and zones

Summary of events of May 29, 1997 to early morning of May 30, 1997:Severe thunderstorms moved through western Oklahoma during the evening of the 29th, producing large hail, damaging thunderstorm winds, and one tornado. The tornado was observed southwest of Sharon in Woodward County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
16

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Summary of events of May 29, 1997 to early morning of May 30, 1997:Severe thunderstorms moved through western Oklahoma during the evening of the 29th, producing large hail, damaging thunderstorm winds, and one tornado. The tornado was observed southwest of Sharon in Woodward County. No damage was reported and the tornado was rated F0. Elsewhere in Woodward County, hail as large as tennis balls fell west of Sharon. Severe thunderstorm winds were estimated at speeds of 60 mph northwest of Lookout in Woods County and west of Thomas in Custer County. Tree damage was attributed to thunderstorm winds east of Angora in Roger Mills County.See preceding individual Storm Data entries for further details and additional reports.

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:53 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Woods

When
May 29, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Woods County, 5 mi NW of Lookout
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
37.000, -99.330

on Hwy 34 at the Oklahoma/Kansas border

Hail, Harper

When
May 29, 6:14 PM CST
Where
Harper County, 2 mi N of Laverne
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.750, -99.900

Hail, Harper

When
May 29, 6:30 PM CST
Where
Harper County, 6 mi E of Laverne
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
36.720, -99.780

Hail, Ellis

When
May 29, 6:50 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, 17 mi N of Gage
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.570, -99.750

Hail, Ellis

When
May 29, 7:15 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, Fargo
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
36.370, -99.620

Hail, Woodward

When
May 29, 7:25 PM CST
Where
Woodward County, 7 mi S of Tangier
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.320, -99.530

Hail, Woodward

When
May 29, 7:33 PM CST
Where
Woodward County, 10 mi W of Sharon
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
36.280, -99.520

Tornado, Woodward

When
May 29, 7:55 PM CST
Where
Woodward County, 9 mi SW of Sharon
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
10 yd
Coordinates
36.180, -99.450

Brief tornado touchdown. No reported damage.

Hail, Ellis

When
May 29, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, 6 mi E of Harmon
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.170, -99.530

Funnel Cloud, Dewey

When
May 29, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Dewey County, 5 mi NW of Leedey
Coordinates
35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Ellis

When
May 29, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Ellis County, 1 mi SE of Harmon
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
36.150, -99.620

Hail, Roger Mills

When
May 29, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Roger Mills County, 2 mi E of Angora
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.830, -99.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Roger Mills

When
May 29, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Roger Mills County, 2 mi E of Angora
Property damage
$10
Coordinates
35.830, -99.420

Two-inch limbs were blown off trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When
May 29, 9:07 PM CST
Where
Custer County, 2 mi W of Thomas
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
35.750, -98.780

Severe thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a spotter to be 60 mph.

Hail, Tillman

When
May 30, 12:55 AM CST
Where
Tillman County, 6 mi NE of Frederick
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
34.450, -98.950

Hail as large as quarters covered the ground northeast of Frederick.

Hail, Tillman

When
May 30, 1:30 AM CST
Where
Tillman County, 1 mi S of Hollister
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
34.330, -98.780

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 1997Warnings in Oklahoma, May 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5619345, 5619343, 5619342, 5619339, 5619340, 5619341, 5619347, 5619346, 5619338, 5619348, 5619335, 5619333, 5619334, 5619344, 5619337, 5619336.