High Wind in Oklahoma, October 15, 2001

Name: High Wind in Oklahoma, October 15, 2001
Start: 2001-10-15T10:00
End: 2001-10-15T17:00
Location: Oklahoma

October 15, 2001 · NWS OUN · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

North winds between 40 and 50 mph developed across western Oklahoma during the late morning and afternoon of the 15th, behind a strong cold front that moved through the area. Blowing dust was observed in most places as well, reducing the visibility at times below 3 miles.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Oct 15, 9:25 AM CST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 15, 9:25 AM CST, 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1025 AM CDT MON OCT 15 2001

HIGH WIND WARNING BEING ISSUED FOR MOST OF W OK AS MESONET WINDS NOW
GUSTING OVER 50 MPH AT SEVERAL SITES...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS OVER 60
MPH. ADVISORY CONTINUED FOR MOST OF CENTRAL OK INTO THE SW ZONES.

.OUN...
OK...HIGH WIND WARNING THIS AFTERNOON
OKZ004>006-009>011-014>017-021>023-033>035
WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON
OKZ007-008-012-013-018>020-024>031-036>040-044-045
TX...WIND ADVISORY TXZ083>090.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 15, 4:34 AM CST, 5 hours 26 minutes before

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-151430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
534 AM CDT MON OCT 15 2001

...COLD TEMPERATURES TO FOLLOW WINDY DAY TODAY...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL AND
WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS TODAY... SHIFTING WINDS TO
THE NORTH AND BRINGING COLDER AIR TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A WIND
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA
AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS FOR NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH... WITH
GUSTS ABOVE 40 MPH BEHIND THE COLD FRONT.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH RAPIDLY AFTER SUNSET TUESDAY
EVENING... AND THE COMBINATION OF COOL AND DRY AIR...CLEAR SKIES...
AND LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP TO NEAR OR BELOW
FREEZING TUESDAY MORNING OVER ROUGHLY THE NORTHWEST THIRD OF
OKLAHOMA. LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS A LARGER PART OF NORTH CENTRAL... AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA
TUESDAY MORNING...WHICH MAY BRING THE FIRST FROST OR FREEZE OF THIS
FALL SEASON TO THE AREA.

 MILLER

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Alfalfa

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Alfalfa forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.731, -98.324 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Beckham

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Beckham forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.269, -99.682 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Blaine

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.875, -98.433 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Caddo

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Caddo forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Custer

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Custer forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.639, -99.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dewey

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Dewey forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.988, -99.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ellis

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.218, -99.755 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Greer

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Greer forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.936, -99.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Harmon

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Harmon forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.744, -99.846 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Harper

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Harper forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.789, -99.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.588, -99.415 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Kiowa

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Kiowa forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.916, -98.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Major

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Major forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.312, -98.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Roger Mills

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Roger Mills forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.688, -99.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washita

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Washita forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Woods

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Woods forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.767, -98.865 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Woodward

When: October 15, 10:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Woodward forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 36.423, -99.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, October 2001

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: 5270874, 5270875, 5270876, 5270877, 5270878, 5270879, 5270880, 5270881, 5270882, 5270883, 5270884, 5270885, 5270886, 5270887, 5270888, 5270889, 5270890.