25 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Apr 18, 9:55 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1055 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003 HAVE UPPED OVERNIGHT POPS TO CATEGORICAL IN A CORRIDOR THRU CENTRAL OK. CONVECTION NOW DEVELOPING OVER W AND CENTRAL TX EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING/INCREASING/SPREADING NE AS LLJ ENHANCES LL CONVERGENCE AND LIFT BENEATH AND AHEAD OF MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF AND POTENT UPPER JET. EXPECT CONVECTION TO EVOLVE INTO 1 OR MORE MCS CLUSTERS AND ROLL NE ACROSS AREA LATE TONIGHT. PRELIM ASSESSMENT OF SAT SEVERE POTENTIAL AFTER CONSULTING W/SPC IS MDT RISK FOR MUCH OF OK E OF RUFLY END-OKC-ADM. POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TORNADOES EXPECTED TO BE OVER RELATIVELY SMALL AREA...EXACT LOCATION UNCERTAIN DUE TO QUESTIONS ON OVERNIGHT CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION AND SUBSEQUENT MESOSCALE FEATURES. PART OF MDT AREA COULD BE UPGRADED IN A LATER UPDATE. FCSTID = 24 OKC 62 76 50 68 / 80 70 60 0 HBR 57 77 49 70 / 70 50 20 0 SPS 61 81 52 73 / 60 50 20 0 GAG 52 64 43 66 / 40 70 80 0 PNC 61 69 48 65 / 60 80 80 0 DUA 63 81 55 72 / 50 70 70 0 .OUN... OK...NONE. TX...NONE.
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-191200-
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1200 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
LOCATION...
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM
CHEROKEE TO CHEYENNE.
TIMING...
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS FROM THIS
AFTERNOON UNTIL EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
DISCUSSION...
A DRYLINE WILL CONTINUE TO SHARPEN AND PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS PORTIONS
OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON.
DEWPOINTS AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS MOISTURE
MOVES NORTHWARD FROM CENTRAL TEXAS. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BECOME
MODERATELY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE
80S. CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE AND A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET
WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SHEAR
PROFILES ARE EXPECTED TO BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR SUPERCELLS TO DEVELOP
WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS THE MAIN WEATHER THREAT.
ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT...AS LOW
LEVEL WINDS INCREASE. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY FROM WESTERN NORTH TEXAS INTO CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SATURDAY APR 19.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...90 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...60 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
THERE WILL BE AN EXTREME TO HIGH FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS ALL OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. PLEASE REFER
TO FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR DETAILED INFORMATION.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ON SATURDAY ACROSS
MOST OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA. WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS WILL HAVE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHEAST OUT OF OKLAHOMA BY
EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG HEATING AS
SKIES CLEAR. LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHWEST
OKLAHOMA...AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. AN ASSOCIATED DRYLINE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE THE
FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.
MODERATE TO HIGH INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE SHEAR PROFILES WILL
SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORNADOES POSSIBLE. HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF
OF OKLAHOMA.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 7 AM
SATURDAY.
MAXWELL/SPEGLOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
801 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003
TIME (CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0746 PM NORTH LAKE KICKAPOO TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
04/18/03 ARCHER REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
SPOTTER.
0751 PM 7 SW WICHITA FALLS TX .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/03 ARCHER REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
SPOTTER.
TYOKZ044-TXZ090-190115- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 802 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003 THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR CLAY AND COTTON COUNTIES. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH PARTS OF WICHITA FALLS AT 801 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. IF THIS STORM MAINTAINS ITS INTENSITY...SEVERE WEATHER WILL AFFECT PARTS OF NORTHERN CLA AND SOUTHERN COTTON COUNTIES BY 9 PM. PEOPLE IN CLAY AND COTTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND WATCH FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THIS STORM APPROACHES. 24
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
811 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003
TIME (CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0811 PM WICHITA FALLS TX .88 INCH HAIL
04/18/03 WICHITA REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
SPOTTER.
0813 PM SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE TX .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/03 WICHITA REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
SPOTTER.
TYOKZ033-036-TXZ083-084-087-190445- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1128 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003 THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR FOARD...HARDEMAN...HARMON... JACKSON AND KNOX COUNTIES. AT 1128 PM...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AT AROUND 50 MPH FROM WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO PARTS OF KNOX...FOARD...AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES IN TEXAS...AND PERHAPS INTO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA...BY AROUND 1 AM. PEOPLE IN FOARD...HARDEMAN...HARMON...JACKSON AND KNOX COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE CITY OF QUANAH...SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND WATCH FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THE STORMS APPROACH. 24
TXZ083-084-190615- SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1256 AM CDT SAT APR 19 2003 THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES. A LARGE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO WAS LOCATED 46 MILES WEST OF CROWELL AT 1256 AM CDT...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THIS STORM HAS PRODUCED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL...AND COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. PEOPLE IN FOARD AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF QUANAH...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND WATCH FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THIS STORM APPROACHES. 24
The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:01 UTC.
25 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Three barns sustained damage. One barn received significant damage while two power poles, a shed, and a large tree were also damaged.
Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.
Power lines were downed.
Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.
Wind was measured by the Oklahoma mesonet.
Tree limbs were downed. Some roofs and outbuildings were also damaged.
Tree limbs were downed.
Hail was reported covering ground.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 2003
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: 5352731, 5352266, 5352267, 5352268, 5352269, 5352270, 5352271, 5352272, 5352273, 5352274, 5352275, 5352276, 5352277, 5352278, 5352279, 5352280, 5352281, 5352282, 5352283, 5352363, 5352364, 5352365, 5352366, 5352367, 5352718, 5352719, 5352720, 5352721, 5352722, 5352723, 5352724, 5352725, 5352726, 5352727, 5352728, 5352729, 5352730.