A warm and seasonably moist airmass was in place ahead of a weak cold front stretching from western to northern Oklahoma during the afternoon. During the late afternoon, several supercells developed and moved east-southeast from near Lawton to east of Oklahoma City.
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 episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.
A warm and seasonably moist airmass was in place ahead of a weak cold front stretching from western to northern Oklahoma during the afternoon. During the late afternoon, several supercells developed and moved east-southeast from near Lawton to east of Oklahoma City. These storms dissipated by late evening following the loss of daytime heating.
A second round of thunderstorms rapidly developed during the early morning hours of the 31st along the cold front as it moved into central Oklahoma. Numerous hail and wind reports were received from the Oklahoma City area south and east toward Ardmore and Ada. Extensive hail damage occurred in central Oklahoma, with estimated damages totaling $2 million around the Norman, OK area.
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 Mar 30, 2:51 PM CST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 351 PM CDT SAT MAR 30 2013 .DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY...TEMPS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY THROUGH THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON...SCT TO BKN LOW TO MID STRATUS DECK CONTINUES TO HOLD ON EAST OF A LINE FROM PONCA CITY TO OKC TO LAWTON. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS REVEALS A FEW VARIOUS WINDS SHIFT LINES/BOUNDARIES LEFT OVER FROM THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION ACROSS EASTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. WHILE A SURFACE PRESSURE TROUGH CONTINUES TO RESIDE ACROSS THE REGION FROM A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE JUST EAST OF THE CAPROCK NORTHWEST INTO SOUTHWESTERN IOWA. WHILE A COLD FRONT REMAINS WELL NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...FROM CENTRAL COLORADO TO SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. SYNOPTICALLY...A REX BLOCK OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PAC WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS SLOWLY EASTWARD THROUGH THIS EVENING. SPLIT WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO CONVERGE ACROSS THE INTER-MOUNTAIN WEST/CENTRAL ROCKIES. IN RESPONSE...THIS WILL INFLUENCE A WEAK 500MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO MOVE SOUTH/SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS...TRANSVERSING THE BASE OF THE LARGER 500MB TROUGH DIGGING SOUTH OF THE HUDSON BAY INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. AS THE SHORTWAVE DROPS SOUTH...IT WILL BRING THE SFC FRONT WITH IT...RESULTING IN INCREASED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS STARTING TONIGHT THROUGH MID DAY SUNDAY. TONIGHT... TIMING OF CONVECTIVE ONSET CONTINUES TO BE A CHALLENGE. CURRENTLY THINKING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AFTER DARK...AS THE FRONT ENTERS THE REGION AND FINALLY PROVIDES A DECENT SOURCE OF LIFT. NAM BUFR SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A 950-850MB EML SPREAD FROM SOUTHERN KANSAS TO NORTHERN TEXAS. WITH CONTINUED SURFACE HEATING FROM KSPS TO KOKC THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO SEE A WEAKENING OF THE EML. MOISTURE WISE...SURFACE DEW POINTS REMAIN SEASONABLE...FROM THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL BODE WELL FOR INSTABILITY...WITH MUCAPE IN THE 1000-500MB LEVEL TOPING 2000 J/KG LATER THIS EVENING FROM NORTHERN TEXAS INTO SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. OVERALL...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS FOCUSED ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY REGION. SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHERN TEXAS LOOKS TO BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THE IMPACT OF THE FRONT...WHERE IT APPEARS THE INCREASED PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND SHIFT LINE WILL DEVELOP WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT THROUGH 31/06Z. SEVERE POTENTIAL...DECENT THETA E ADVECTION ACROSS THE REGION WILL RESULT IN SFC-600MB THETA E DIFFERENCES OF 10 TO 20 K...MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR AN INCREASED SEVERE WIND THREAT. HOWEVER...HAIL WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...MODEST 0-6KM SHEAR OF 30 TO 40 KTS WILL COMBINE WITH DECENT CAPE IN THE -20 TO -30 C RANGE...AS INDICATED BY BUFR SOUNDINGS ACROSS WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OK. LARGE..DAMAGING HAIL CAN BE ANTICIPATED WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...BEFORE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FINALLY EXIT ACROSS NORTHEASTERN TEXAS THROUGH NOON. AFTER WHICH...SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE PLAINS...OFFERING A COOL DOWN AND A LULL IN PRECIP CHANCES. START OF THE WORK WEEK... WITH THE EASTERN PACIFIC BLOCK BREAKING DOWN...THE 500MB WAVE OVER NORCAL WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE INLAND SUNDAY EVENING...MERGING WITH THE NORTHERN STREAM OF UPPER LEVEL WESTERLIES ACROSS THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WITH THE STRENGTHENING EASTERN TROUGH DIGGING SOUTH AND EAST OF HUDSON BAY...A SLIGHT RIDGE AXIS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE PANHANDLES/AHEAD OF THE FRONT RANGE SUNDAY NIGHT. WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH MONDAY...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL INCREASE...WITH A WEAK SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO/FAR WEST TEXAS. THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL THEN DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. INCREASED PRECIP CHANCES ACROSS NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA MONDAY MORNING...WHERE SUFFICIENT LIFT FROM THE FRONT LOOKS TO BE MAINTAINED...AS INDICATED BY AN INCREASE IN THETA E ADVECTION AND GRADIENT IN THE LOW TO MID LEVELS FROM SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. AS THE SFC LOW CONTINUES TO SINK SOUTHWARD...RAIN CHANCES WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE ACROSS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AS THE 500MB LOW MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS. MID-RANGE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE CONTINUAL PRECIP CHANCES THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO ADVANCE SOUTHEASTWARD...WITH THE TROUGH AXIS FROM SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH SOUTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO. LONG RANGE GUIDANCE FROM THE GFS AND ECMWF BEGIN TO DIVERGE THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...WITH THE GFS THE QUICKER OF THE TWO WITH THE EXIT AND INTENSITY OF THE UPPER LOW. OVERALL...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST...WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. KURTZ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... OKLAHOMA CITY OK 56 70 46 63 / 50 30 0 30 HOBART OK 56 70 47 64 / 60 20 10 40 WICHITA FALLS TX 60 73 52 73 / 60 40 0 20 GAGE OK 47 70 43 54 / 40 10 20 60 PONCA CITY OK 50 71 43 53 / 50 10 0 40 DURANT OK 59 72 52 72 / 70 70 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...NONE. TX...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1200 PM CDT SAT MAR 30 2013
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-311000-
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-
1200 PM CDT SAT MAR 30 2013
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS MUCH OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
LOCATION...
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM ARNETT TO MEDFORD.
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDES ALL OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
TIMING...
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM LATE
THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS...
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.
DISCUSSION...
MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL AGAIN BE IN PLACE ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND
NORTH TEXAS TODAY. SEVERAL WEAK WAVES IN THE FLOW ALOFT...ALONG
WITH SEVERAL BOUNDARIES AT THE SURFACE...WILL SUPPORT SOME
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. AFTERNOON HEATING WILL ENHANCE THE
INSTABILITY...AND STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON
OR EARLY EVENING. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE
AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT... AND LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS FRONT
WILL HELP SUSTAIN STORM DEVELOPMENT INTO THE NIGHT. THE MAIN CONCERNS
WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL... ALTHOUGH STRONG WINDS WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE RISK WILL DIMINISH FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST
WITH TIME AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT SUNDAY MAR 31.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...80 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...60 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
THUNDERSTORMS CHANCES WILL PERSIST INTO SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES WILL AGAIN DEVELOP MONDAY AND EARLY TUESDAY.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO AROUND FREEZING IN NORTHERN OKLAHOMA TUESDAY
AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY 5 AM
SUNDAY MARCH 31.
.26.SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
536 PM CDT SAT MAR 30 2013
OKZ038-302300-
COMANCHE OK-
536 PM CDT SAT MAR 30 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN COMANCHE COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...
AT 530 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES WEST OF
MEERS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM IS OVER THE WICHITA
MOUNTAINS WILDLIFE REFUGE. HIKERS AND OTHERS IN THE REFUGE SHOULD
FIND A PLACE OF SHELTER.
STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...
LAT...LON 3478 9883 3486 9870 3485 9852 3470 9842
3461 9874
TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 243DEG 11KT 3474 9871
..SPEG.The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:13 UTC.
37 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The hail was reported at Camp Doris in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Hail fell near the intersection of Deyo Mission Rd. and SW Woodlawn Dr.
The hail was measured at a private residence on Brandon Dr.
The hail lasted for about 10 minutes.
The hail damaged cars, and covered the ground for hours. Damages estimated.
Hail accumulated and drifted.
Branches were downed by the wind, with nickel size hail also reported.
The hail was reported at Northwest 36th and Main St.
The ASOS at Max Westheimer Airport in Norman measured a 59 mph wind gust.
The hail was measured at the NWS Forecast Office.
The hail was reported at Southwest 24th St. and Brooks St. Hail of this size was reported at several locations across southwest Norman, and resulted in extensive damage. Numerous vehicles were damaged and some 85 homes lost windows from blowing hail. Damages estimated based on media reports and number and type of damaged structures.
The hail was reported at the intersection of Flood and Cruce St.
Public reported a gust to 60 mph.
Tree limbs up to 4 in diameter snapped off.
The public reported gusts to 60 mph.
Windows blown out and power lines down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, March 2013
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: 434677, 434678, 434679, 434680, 434681, 434682, 434683, 434684, 434685, 434686, 434687, 434688, 434689, 434690, 434691, 434692, 434693, 434694, 434695, 434716, 434696, 434697, 434698, 434699, 434700, 434717, 434701, 434702, 434703, 434704, 434705, 434718, 434706, 434707, 434708, 434709, 434714, 434719, 434710, 434715, and more.