A slow moving cold front positioned itself over northwest Oklahoma, generating southwest surface winds and unusually hot temperatures. Isolated storms developed over Oklahoma county and as they collapsed, they produced spotty wind damage.
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 slow moving cold front positioned itself over northwest Oklahoma, generating southwest surface winds and unusually hot temperatures. Isolated storms developed over Oklahoma county and as they collapsed, they produced spotty wind damage.
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 Sep 19, 11:54 AM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1254 PM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 .AVIATION... SOUTHWEST TO SOUTH WINDS WILL PREVAIL AS MID TO HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS WEST TEXAS/SOUTHERN PLAINS. HEATING AND RATHER MOIST AIRMASS...WILL RESULT IN WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS THROUGH AT LEAST THE AFTERNOON. MENTIONED A BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIP THIS AFTERNOON AT LAW/SPS SITES BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA BY EARLY EVENING AND SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE ACROSS MOST TAF SITES BY 15Z FRIDAY WITH DECREASING CHANCES FOR PRECIP/STORMS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SOME MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY WITHIN THE STRONGEST CONVECTION THIS EVENING INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. PREVAILING LOW CEILINGS (BELOW 5FT) PER NAM GUIDANCE APPEARS UNLIKELY AT THIS TIME. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1051 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013/ UPDATE... ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS WILL OCCUR TODAY ACROSS PARTS OF THE FA AS LEAD SHORTWAVE MOVES OUT OF COLORADO AND TROPICAL MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE REGION. RAIN CHANCES WILL STILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTN IN NW OK AS THE COLD FRONT GETS CLOSER TO THE AREA. MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POP/WX GRIDS AND SKY. WILL SEND UPDATES SHORTLY. MAXWELL PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 737 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013/ UPDATE... DID A QUICK UPDATE TO ADD SOME POPS TO NW PORTIONS OF THE FA FOR THIS MORNING. ACTIVITY IN THE PANHANDLES IS BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING. MAXWELL PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 629 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013/ DISCUSSION... REFER TO THE 12Z AVIATION FORECAST BELOW... AVIATION... WILL BEGIN THE DAY WITH VFR CONDITIONS. HOWEVER...BY EARLY AFTERNOON...EXPECT SCT SHRA AND ISOLD TSRA TO AFFECT SW TAF SITES. STILL...CONFIDENCE IS RATHER LOW THAT STORMS WILL IMPACT ANY PARTICULAR SITE...SO WILL INCLUDE ONLY VCSH AT KLAW AND KSPS. MORE WIDESPREAD SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED WITH A COLD FRONT THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. STORMS WILL BEGIN ACROSS NW OK AND SHIFT SWD OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM SW TO NE WITH THE FRONT. A FEW STRONG STORMS MAY LEAD TO GUSTY WINDS AND IFR/LIFR VSBYS FOR A BRIEF TIME. FRONT WILL CLEAR MOST TAF SITES BY 12Z FRIDAY...WITH RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 313 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013/ DISCUSSION... WITH CONTINUED SOUTHWEST FLOW TODAY...EXPECT HIGHS TO COME IN JUST A COUPLE OF DEGREES COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. WARM AND MUGGY AFTERNOON CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST...THOUGH MODELS DO INDICATE SOME CHANCE OF SHOWERS/ISOLD STORMS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS BY MID AFTERNOON. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BE SPOTTY. THE MAIN SHOW...AS FAR AS MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND STORMS IS CONCERNED...WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING AND LAST THROUGH THE DAY ON FRIDAY AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SCATTERED STORMS WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE FRONT...INITIALLY OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND THE TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD MOVE INTO FAR NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. SOME OF THIS INITIAL ACTIVITY MAY POSE A LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT...BUT SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. HEADING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...THE FRONT WILL PUSH SWD INTO A WARM AND MOIST ENVIRONMENT. THIS WILL BRING SHOWERS AND STORMS TO MUCH OF THE REGION...AND WITH FAIRLY HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING MAY OCCUR. WIDESPREAD RAIN AND CLOUDINESS WILL KEEP HIGHS IN THE 70S AND 80S TOMORROW. MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END TOMORROW NIGHT. FOR THE WEEKEND...A RELATIVELY COOL AND DRY POST FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL OVERSPREAD OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS...BRINGING SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK...SFC HIGH WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION... BRINGING A RETURN OF SOUTHERLY WINDS. A COMPACT SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...BUT UNCERTAINTIES IN AVAILABLE MOISTURE AND PLACEMENT OF STRONGEST UPPER FORCING LENDS TO LOW CONFIDENCE IN PRECIP...SO WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW. MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL INCREASE BY MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK...LEADING TO ABOVE NORMAL MAX TEMPS AND DRY CONDITIONS BY THIS TIME NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... OKLAHOMA CITY OK 68 77 56 78 / 80 50 0 0 HOBART OK 67 81 55 82 / 80 50 0 0 WICHITA FALLS TX 71 80 59 84 / 70 60 20 0 GAGE OK 61 80 49 79 / 70 0 0 0 PONCA CITY OK 66 79 54 79 / 100 30 0 0 DURANT OK 72 81 63 86 / 60 100 30 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...NONE. TX...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1142 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-201000-
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-
1142 AM CDT THU SEP 19 2013
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS
WILL BE POSSIBLE IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING.
DISCUSSION...
A WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TODAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PARTS OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...BUT NO
SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED.
MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA BY LATE
AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO THAT AREA. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE
STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA THROUGH EARLY EVENING WITH
LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS THE MAIN THREATS.
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD INTO MUCH OF
OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES SOUTHWARD.
THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL DIMINISH AFTER DARK. GUSTY WINDS....
SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS
AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT.
PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT FRIDAY SEP 20.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...100 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...20 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AS THE FRONT PUSHES
SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. LIMITED
INSTABILITY AND WEAK WIND SHEAR WILL MAKE SEVERE STORMS UNLIKELY BUT
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED FROM SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
NONE.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY 5 AM
FRIDAY.SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 156 PM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 OKZ024-025-027>029-191930- OKLAHOMA OK-MCCLAIN OK-GRADY OK-CLEVELAND OK-CANADIAN OK- 156 PM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR OKLAHOMA...WESTERN MCCLAIN... GRADY...CLEVELAND AND EASTERN CANADIAN COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT... AT 152 PM CDT...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM WERE LOCATED FROM CHICKASHA TO NEWCASTLE AND TUTTLE...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. HAZARDS INCLUDE... WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH... BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL... LIGHTNING... LAT...LON 3489 9752 3500 9804 3572 9768 3561 9719 TIME...MOT...LOC 1852Z 200DEG 20KT 3523 9762
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 232 PM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 OKZ024-025-027>029-192000- OKLAHOMA OK-MCCLAIN OK-GRADY OK-CLEVELAND OK-CANADIAN OK- 232 PM CDT THU SEP 19 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR OKLAHOMA...NORTHWESTERN MCCLAIN...NORTHEASTERN GRADY...CLEVELAND AND SOUTHEASTERN CANADIAN COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT... AT 226 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. HAZARDS INCLUDE... POTENTIALLY SEVERE WINDS GUSTING OVER 55 MPH... MINOR FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE... LAT...LON 3507 9737 3517 9784 3572 9756 3572 9716 TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 203DEG 30KT 3546 9749
The Norman radar (KTLX), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:36 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A semi truck was overturned along I-44 between Southwest 44th and 29th Streets. Minor tree damage was also reported. Damages estimated. No injuries reported.
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, September 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: 473736.