Wildfire in Oklahoma, August 22 to 24, 2003

Name: Wildfire in Oklahoma, August 22 to 24, 2003
Start: 2003-08-22T16:30
End: 2003-08-24T14:00
Location: Oklahoma

August 22 to 24, 2003 · NWS OUN · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 wildfire, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 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 Aug 22, 2:41 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 22, 2:41 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OKLAHOMA
341 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SPRUNG UP YET AGAIN THIS
AFTERNOON IN THE WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS OVER THE REGION.  THEY WERE
HELPED BY A PASSING EASTERLY WAVE OVER NORTHERN TEXAS.  THESE
SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD DIE OFF TOWARD SUNSET.

HOT AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL LAST THROUGH MONDAY... ALONG WITH A
SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON SHOWERS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

THE REAL FUN BEGINS ON TUESDAY... WHEN A COLD FRONT MIGHT MAKE IT
INTO OUR FORECAST AREA... OR IT MIGHT NOT.  THE 00Z GFS IS QUITE
AGGRESSIVE IN BRINGING IT INTO... AND THROUGH... OUR FORECAST AREA
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  OTHER MODELS ARE FAR LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT
THAT.  AM QUITE HESITANT TO JUMP ON THE SOLUTION OF A SINGLE MODEL
AGAINST THE ADVICE OF SEVERAL OTHERS... BUT THE GFS HAS HAD AN
UNCANNY KNACK AT PICKING UP ON SIMILAR COLD AIR INTRUSIONS THIS
SUMMER.  GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY AT THIS POINT... HAVE GENERALLY GONE
WITH A BROAD-BRUSHED COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE GFS AND THE MAJORITY.

BEYOND THAT... WARMER AND LESS-RAINY CONDITIONS SHOULD RETURN FOR
THE REST OF THE WEEK.

OKC   73   99   72   99  / 20   10   10   10
HBR   72  101   71  100  / 20   10   10   10
SPS   74  102   73  100  / 30   20   20   20
GAG   67  100   68  100  / 10    5    5   10
PNC   73  100   73   99  / 20   20   20   10
DUA   74   99   74   98  / 20   20   20   10

FORECAST ID = 23 = CMS

.OUN...
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 22, 10:55 AM CST, 5 hours 35 minutes before

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-231300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1155 AM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA...AS WELL AS
ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. STORMS MAY BRIEFLY
APPROACH SEVERE LEVELS...HOWEVER ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT
ANTICIPATED.

DISCUSSION...
A WEAK COLD FRONT LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS THIS MORNING WILL
MOVE SOUTH INTO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. THE
COMBINATION OF AFTERNOON HEATING AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS FRONT
MAY BE ENOUGH FOR WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. ANOTHER
AREA OF POTENTIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ALONG AN OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY THAT WILL BE SITUATED NEAR A LINE FROM PERRY...TO ENID...TO
ALVA.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA
AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN ASSOCIATION
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING WEST ACROSS TEXAS.

LARGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT IN THE LOWER
LEVELS WILL SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME OF THESE STORMS
PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO
WEAKEN AFTER SUNSET.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SATURDAY AUG 23.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...30 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...10 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
HEAT WILL REACH DANGEROUS LEVELS AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON OVER MUCH OF
OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS. HEAT INDICES WILL REACH THE 105 TO 110
DEGREE RANGE IN MANY AREAS. PRECAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED TO AVOID
HEAT RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. IF YOU NEED TO BE OUTSIDE...AVOID ANY
PROLONGED STRENUOUS ACTIVITY AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS. DRINK PLENTY
OF WATER...AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUN...AND DRESS IN
LOOSE FITTING LIGHT COLORED CLOTHING. PROTECT YOUR PETS BY MAKING
SURE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF SHADE AND COOL WATER.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN
OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES
RETURN TO THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
INTO THE AREA.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SLIGHTLY LESS HOT OVER THE
WEEKEND...BUT AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES STILL MAY APPROACH DANGEROUS
LEVELS.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 7 AM
SATURDAY.

JAMES

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 2:44 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

OKZ052-222100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
344 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR BRYAN COUNTY.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING IN NORTHEAST BRYAN COUNTY...ABOUT
10 MILES EAST OF CADDO...MOVING WEST AT 15 MPH.

STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY.

PEOPLE IN BRYAN COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY.
LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

JAMES

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 2:55 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

OKZ043-222115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
355 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR COAL COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ATOKA IN ATOKA COUNTY...
MOVING WEST NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN COAL COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

JAMES

Local storm report, Aug 22, 3:24 PM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
424 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

TIME (CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0415 PM    BENJAMIN                  TX   .75 INCH HAIL
08/22/03   KNOX                           PUBLIC REPORT.

JLP

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 3:43 PM CST, 47 minutes before

OKZ047-222200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
443 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR JOHNSTON COUNTY.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER NIDA...MOVING WEST NORTHWEST
AT 20 MPH.

STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY.

PEOPLE IN JOHNSTON COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

JAMES

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 4:02 PM CST, 28 minutes before

OKZ042-222215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
502 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR PONTOTOC COUNTY.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FITTSTOWN AT
502 PM CDT...MOVING WEST AT 25 MPH.

STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY.

PEOPLE IN PONTOTOC COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

JAMES

Special weather statement, Aug 22, 4:03 PM CST, 27 minutes before

OKZ047-051-222215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
503 PM CDT FRI AUG 22 2003

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS FOR JOHNSTON AND MARSHALL
COUNTIES.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER LAKE TEXOMA AT 503 PM CDT...
MOVING WEST AT 25 MPH.

STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY.

PEOPLE IN JOHNSTON AND MARSHALL COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER
SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR WARNINGS AND REMAIN ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

JAMES

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Greer

When: August 22, 4:30 PM CST to August 24, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Greer County, 7 mi W of Jester
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.936, -99.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dry conditions and lightning combined to cause a fire at the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management area in western Greer County. It was estimated that 500 acres of grasslands at the wildlife area burned before the fire was completely suppressed. Firefighters from 8 different city fire departments and road graders from one of the county crews were called in to battle the fire.

What these are

Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, August 2003

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: 5334063.