The severe drought continued over the western two-thirds of Oklahoma during the month of May. By this time, farmers were beginning to think about what they could salvage with their winter wheat crop.
Every event with a place to put it; 45 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.
The severe drought continued over the western two-thirds of Oklahoma during the month of May. By this time, farmers were beginning to think about what they could salvage with their winter wheat crop. Even though wheat prices were high, the yield over much of Oklahoma was small. Precipitation-wise, most of the region remained below normal. Even those that did get it were hampered by periods of hail and wind, and a few tornadoes.
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 30, 9:51 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1051 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011 .AVIATION... /06Z TAFS/ A SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM NORTHEAST INTO CENTRAL TX AT 06Z WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. MEANWHILE... ELEVATED MOISTURE WILL BEGIN SPREADING BACK NORTH OVER THE FRONT INTO OK AND WESTERN N-TX DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM APPROACHING THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL RESULT IN INCREASING CLOUDS OVER THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS LATE TONIGHT ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND A FEW T-STORMS WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN OK AND N-TX. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 959 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011/ UPDATE... SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS PUSHED SOUTH OF THE FA THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH RATHER DRY...COOL AIR IN PLACE. AS WINDS AT LOW LEVELS INCREASE LATE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT... WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD FORM ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF FA. STILL APPEAR AREAS SOUTH AND EAST OF COALGATE...ARDMORE AND WICHITA FALLS HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR RAIN AND STORMS. CLOUD COVER ACROSS SOUTHEAST COUNTIES SHOULD KEEP TEMPS UP SO WILL RAISE TEMPS A FEW DEGREES. DRY AIR ELSEWHERE AND LIGHTER WINDS FOR NOW WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO COOL QUICKER BUT CLOUDS WILL INCREASE MOST AREAS OVERNIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 634 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011/ AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ A COLD FRONT ACROSS FAR SE OK AND NE TX WILL MOVE SLOWLY SE OVERNIGHT. T-STORMS WILL INITIALLY BE LOCATED NEAR AND AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER... ELEVATED MOISTURE WILL BEGIN SPREADING NORTH OVER THE FRONT... BACK INTO OK AND WESTERN N-TX LATE TONIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME... AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST. THIS WILL RESULT IN INCREASING CLOUDS OVER THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND A FEW T-STORMS WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. THE MOST WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHERN OK AND N-TX. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011/ DISCUSSION... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE RED RIVER VALLEY REGION AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING EXPECTED TO BE PRIMARILY SOUTH AND EAST OF OUR CWA. NORTHERN EXTEND OF SHOWERS/WEAK STORMS TOMORROW DIFFER AMONG THE MODELS...BUT ALL HAVE SIGNALS THAT WE COULD SEE AT LEAST INTERMITTENT LIGHT SHOWERS UP INTO THE I-40 CORRIDOR SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE SHIFTING EAST. OUTSIDE OF FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA... RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO BE FAIRLY LIGHT. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS MAIN TROUGH PASSES OVERHEAD. WRF/NAM STILL THE MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH ELEVATED CONVECTION...AND ECM TRENDED THIS WAY WITH LAST RUN. HOWEVER...MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY EARLY MONDAY SHOULD BE CONFINED TO AREAS NEAR AND EAST OF I-44 CORRIDOR. WARMING TREND TOWARD MID-WEEK AHEAD OF ANOTHER PROGD FRONT THURSDAY/FRIDAY. WITH MODEL DISAGREEMENTS DID NOT MAKE MUCH IN THE WAY OF CHANGES IN THESE LATTER PERIODS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... OKLAHOMA CITY OK 47 55 38 56 / 20 60 20 40 HOBART OK 45 53 34 51 / 30 40 10 30 WICHITA FALLS TX 50 55 40 55 / 60 60 20 60 GAGE OK 39 54 34 58 / 10 20 10 20 PONCA CITY OK 44 57 36 60 / 10 40 20 20 DURANT OK 58 58 42 54 / 60 80 40 60 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 06/11/32
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
830 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011200-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
830 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
NO ORGANIZED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED.
DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
TEXAS TONIGHT. AS AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OVER THE
REGION...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL BE PULLED NORTHWARD
OVER THE COOLER AND STABLE AIR NEAR THE GROUND. THIS WILL
LIKELY RESULT IN AN AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT.
ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE UNLIKELY...A FEW OF
THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE MARGINALLY SEVERE SIZE HAIL...MAINLY
SOUTH OF ALTUS...ARDMORE...AND COALGATE.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SUNDAY MAY 1.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...60 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...20 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AS A
SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS SWEEP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SOME OF
THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...MAINLY SOUTH
AND EAST OF INTERSTATE-44...WITH LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY IMPACT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY 5 AM
SUNDAY.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
45 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The month began with D2 drought status, but had worsened was up to D4 by 5/24.
The month began with D3 drought status, but worsened to D4 by 5/24.
The month began with D3 drought status, but quickly worsened to D4 by 5/10.
The month began with D3 drought status, but quickly worsened to D4 by 5/10.
D4 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D4 drought status at the beginning of the month weakened slightly to D3 by 5/24.
D4 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D4 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month worsened to D3 status by 8/17.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D3/D4 drought status at the beginning of the month improved slightly to D2 status by 8/24.
D3/D4 drought status at the beginning of the month improved slightly to D2/D3 status by 8/24.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month, with a worsening to D4 drought during the middle part of the month.
D2 drought status maintained itself through the month.
D2/D3 drought status maintained itself through most of the month, with a slight improvement at the end of the month.
D3 drought status at the beginning of the month improved slightly to D2 status on 8/24.
D3 drought status at the beginning of the month improved slightly to D2 status on 8/24.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month, with a worsening to D4 status over the middle portion of the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month, with a worsening to D4 status over the middle portion of the month.
D3 drought status maintained itself through the month, with a worsening to D4 status over the middle portion of the month.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D2/D3 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D2/D3 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D3 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2 status by 5/24.
D3 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2 status by 5/24.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/24.
D3/D4 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2/D3 status by 5/24.
D3/D4 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2/D3 status by 5/24.
D3/D4 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2/D3 status by 5/24.
D3 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D2 status by 5/24.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/17.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/17.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/17.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D1 status by 5/17.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D0/D1 status by 5/17.
D2 drought status at the beginning of the month, improved to D0/D1 status by 5/17.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 2011
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: 324121, 324122, 324123, 324124, 324125, 324129, 324130, 324131, 324132, 324133, 324134, 324135, 324136, 324137, 324138, 324139, 324140, 324142, 324147, 324149, 324150, 324151, 324152, 324153, 324154, 324155, 324156, 324157, 324158, 324159, 324160, 324161, 324162, 324163, 324164, 324165, 324166, 324167, 324168, 324169, and more.