Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 23 to 24, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 23 to 24, 2004
Start: 2004-04-23T18:45
End: 2004-04-24T01:08
Location: Oklahoma

April 23 to 24, 2004 · NWS TSA · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

4 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 8

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 23, 1:51 PM CST, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 1:51 PM CST, 4 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
251 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER IS IN THE OFFING FOR THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER...THIS WILL BE
HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE FOR THE
ENTIRE FORECAST AREA THROUGH SATURDAY. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES
OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 5 INCHES NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.

STATIONARY SURFACE FRONT CONTINUES FROM NEAR SPS TO MIAMI OKLAHOMA
AND THEN EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS NEAR THE MISSOURI BORDER
THIS AFTERNOON. A WARM FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA
NEAR THE I-40 CORRIDOR. SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOP ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON IN ADVANCE OF
THIS BOUNDARY. I EXPECT DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE VICINITY OF
THESE SURFACE BOUNDARIES AS THE CAP WEAKENS ACROSS THE AREA.
THE AIRMASS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
CONTINUES TO BE RATHER UNSTABLE WITH CAPE VALUES IN THE 1500 TO 2500
J/KG RANGE. LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SUPERCELL
DEVELOPMENT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL
ARKANSAS.

HEAVY RAIN WILL BECOME MORE OF A PROBLEM TONIGHT AS THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AS A SFC LOW DEVELOPS ALONG THE
SURFACE BOUNDARY AND MOVES INTO SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. ALSO ENHANCING
THE LIFT ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE A 50 KT LOW LEVEL JET AND A
MID-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PULLING OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED
STATES. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE BOUNDARY SLOWLY MOVES TO THE EAST AND THE
MID LEVEL LOW MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME TO AN END SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING
AS THE COLD FRONT FINALLY MOVES EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA.

DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS INTO THE AREA. THE NEXT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE NEXT FRIDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA.

PRELIM NUMBERS:

TUL    59   69   51   70 / 100  100   50   10
FSM    62   72   56   70 / 100  100   60   30
MLC    64   71   53   71 / 100  100   60   10
BVO    52   68   50   69 / 100  100   50   10
FYV    59   68   51   67 / 100  100   60   30
BYV    56   69   51   66 / 100  100   60   30
MKO    62   69   52   71 / 100  100   60   10
MIO    52   68   51   68 / 100  100   60   10
F10    62   69   52   71 / 100  100   50   10
HHW    65   73   55   71 / 100  100   60   10

FORECAST ID= 10

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 400 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR ZONES
ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011...ARZ019...ARZ029.

OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 400 PM CDT SATURDAY FOR ZONES OKZ049...
OKZ053>076.

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 12:00 PM CST, 6 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-241100-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
100 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS
   SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS...

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY WITH HEAVY RAINFALL
   AND FLASH FLOODING LIKELY TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY...

A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS DRAPED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST
CENTRAL ARKANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...CURRENTLY LOCATED
JUST SOUTH OF A JAY...HENRYETTA LINE.  SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY...THE
ATMOSPHERE HAS ALREADY BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH SURFACE BASED
CAPES AROUND 2500 J/KG.  BY MID AFTERNOON AS SURFACE HEATING
CONTINUES...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP ALONG THE
BOUNDARY.  GIVEN THE FORECASTED WIND FIELDS...THESE STORMS WILL
LIKELY BE SUPERCELLULAR IN NATURE THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...
WITH THE THREAT FOR VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
TORNADOES...PRIMARILY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT.

THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME MORE LINEAR IN NATURE THIS EVENING
WITH CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SWEEPING
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT.  VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS...COUPLED
WITH MARGINAL ELEVATED INSTABILITIES SUGGEST A CONTINUED THREAT FOR
SCATTERED SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THREAT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY WITH CONTINUED FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY
IN THE AREAS WHERE PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINFALL HAS OCCURRED. PLEASE
REFER TO THE FLOOD WATCH /OKCFFATUL/ ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN TULSA.

WARNING PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES CAN BE
FOUND IN THE CURRENT HAZARDS SECTION AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.
GIVEN PROBABILITIES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WARNING TO BE
ISSUED AT YOUR LOCATION.

SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED LATER TODAY. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE
WEATHER...INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY FOR SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOODING
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY.  THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY FOR
TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
THE SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD THREAT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.  THE AREA WILL FINALLY RETURN TO MORE QUIESCENT WEATHER
CONDITIONS BY SUNDAY AS THE MAIN COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND
GRAPHICAL INFORMATION

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 23, 2:06 PM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
306 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

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

0945 AM     HAIL             BURBANK                 36.69N 96.73W
04/23/2004  0.75 INCH        OSAGE              OK   PUBLIC

0955 AM     HAIL             SHIDLER                 36.78N 96.66W
04/23/2004  0.75 INCH        OSAGE              OK   PUBLIC

            PEA TO PENNY SIZED HAIL COVERED THE GROUND.

1015 AM     HAIL             GRAINOLA                36.94N 96.65W
04/23/2004  0.75 INCH        OSAGE              OK   PUBLIC

&&

NMK

Special weather statement, Apr 23, 2:28 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
328 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

OKZ063-068-069-232130-
ADAIR OK-CHEROKEE OK-DELAWARE OK-
328 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     DELAWARE AND ADAIR

IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     CHEROKEE

AT 328 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SCRAPER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS
THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...OAKS...TWIN OAKS...
KANSAS...COLCORD...WEST SILOAM SPRINGS AND SCRAPER.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH.

Special weather statement, Apr 23, 4:16 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
516 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

OKZ071-232315-
MCINTOSH OK-
516 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY:

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     MCINTOSH

AT 516 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
HANNA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...HANNA...VERNON...RAIFORD...VIVIAN...
STIDHAM AND PIERCE.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL
AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

Special weather statement, Apr 23, 5:07 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
607 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

OKZ068-240000-
CHEROKEE OK-
607 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 700 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY:

IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
     CHEROKEE

AT 607 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES
EAST OF LOST CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT
WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...OAKS...LOST CITY...PEGGS AND
SCRAPER.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL
HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A
WARNING.

Special weather statement, Apr 23, 5:13 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
613 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

OKZ071-240015-
MCINTOSH OK-
613 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY:

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     MCINTOSH

AT 613 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES
WEST OF STIDHAM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT
WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...STIDHAM...PIERCE...HITCHITA
AND COUNCIL HILL.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL
AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

Special weather statement, Apr 23, 6:38 PM CST, 7 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
738 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

ARZ001-010-240130-
BENTON AR-WASHINGTON AR-
738 PM CDT FRI APR 23 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
     BENTON AND WASHINGTON

AT 738 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES
WEST OF LAKE FRANCIS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS
THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...ROCKY COMFORT...
FAIRMOUNT...HARMON...SILOAM SPRINGS...GENTRY...LAKE FRANCIS...
GALLITIN...HEALING SPRINGS...SPRINGTOWN...HIGHFILL...CAVE SPRINGS...
VAUGHN...CINCINNATI...WEDINGTON...SAVOY...WHEELER...TONTITOWN AND ELM
SPRINGS.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, McIntosh

When: April 23, 6:45 PM CST
Where: McIntosh County, 6 mi W of Checotah
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.433, -95.617

Thunderstorm Wind, McIntosh

When: April 23, 7:17 PM CST
Where: McIntosh County, 4 mi W of Checotah
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.433, -95.583

Hail, Sequoyah

When: April 23, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Sequoyah County, 3 mi N of Box
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.633, -94.983

Hail, Cherokee

When: April 23, 8:43 PM CST
Where: Cherokee County, 2 mi S of Cookson
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.667, -94.967

Hail, Adair

When: April 23, 9:09 PM CST
Where: Adair County, Bunch
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.683, -94.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When: April 23, 9:55 PM CST
Where: Choctaw County, 5 mi N of Sawyer
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.083, -95.367

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down several large trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When: April 24, 12:54 AM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Wister
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.967, -94.717

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down large trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Le Flore

When: April 24, 1:08 AM CST
Where: Le Flore County, Poteau
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.050, -94.617

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down large trees.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, April 2004

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: 5392336, 5392337, 5392338, 5392339, 5392340, 5392341, 5392342, 5392343.