On the evening of the 3rd, a line of storms formed along a front across Oklahoma and western north Texas and moved slowly eastward, producing severe weather, a tornado, and flash flooding.
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.
On the evening of the 3rd, a line of storms formed along a front across Oklahoma and western north Texas and moved slowly eastward, producing severe weather, a tornado, and flash flooding.
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 Jul 3, 2:37 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
337 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
.DISCUSSION...
Severe storms will be possible across central and southern parts
of CWA through at least mid-evening. Along with a primary impact
potential for damaging wind gusts with strongest storms, there
will be a heavy rain and flash flood threat especially this
evening across southeast portions of Oklahoma. Coverage and high
flash flood guidance values, covering an area that has not see
much rain recently, will preclude flood watch.
Convective potential will remain tomorrow mainly across the Red
River Valley near stalled frontal boundary. Again, damaging wind
gusts and heavy rain will be the primary concerns. Each day of the
coming week will see a chance for at least isolated storm activity
as models slower and less aggressive with building ridge. Chances
increase a bit late in the week with a potential week front making
its way south from the Central Plains.
Heat will be a concern this week, with several locations seeing
near and above 105 heat index values this afternoon. No
significant cooling expected for tomorrow and outside of
northwest and west-central Oklahoma, dewpoints are expected to be
as high or higher next few days. This has resulted in a Heat
Advisory for all but far northern and western Oklahoma through
Tuesday. This advisory may be expanded in space/time Tuesday into
mid-week as confidence increases on hotter temperatures spreading
farther north. Drier air over far western Oklahoma will likely
keep those locations with heat indices closer to dry bulb temps.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK 72 94 75 96 / 40 10 10 10
Hobart OK 71 98 75 101 / 10 10 10 20
Wichita Falls TX 76 99 78 101 / 30 20 20 10
Gage OK 65 96 71 100 / 0 10 10 20
Ponca City OK 67 91 76 97 / 30 0 10 20
Durant OK 77 93 76 95 / 60 30 10 10
&&
.OUN Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
OK...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Tuesday for OKZ018>020-023>032-
037>048-050>052.
TX...Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT Tuesday for TXZ084>090.
&&
23/11HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 1151 AM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-041000- 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- 1151 AM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN... WESTERN...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA. THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM STILLWATER TO EL RENO TO LAWTON TO WICHITA FALLS TEXAS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ABOUT MID-AFTERNOON ALONG THE NORTHWEST PARTS OF THE SLIGHT RISK AREA...THEN ADVANCE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXTEND FROM ABOUT 3 PM TO 11 PM. THE PRIMARY RISK FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...WHILE FLOODING RAIN AND HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK AREA SHOULD PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS FROM 3 PM TO 11 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... .THUNDERSTORMS... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY FOR PORTIONS OF FAR WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT PARTS OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. SUPPORTED BY A WEAK SURFACE LOW...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST...OFF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...WILL MOVE INTO FAR WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA THROUGH THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL LINGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT INTO TUESDAY. .HEAT... TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY INCREASE THIS WEEK. BY MIDWEEK...HEAT INDICES MAY APPROACH THE 100 TO 107 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS THE REGION EACH AFTERNOON. GET GRAPHICS AND MORE DETAILS AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN...AND FOLLOW OUR WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
305 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
OKZ019-020-032030-
LOGAN OK-PAYNE OK-
305 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN LOGAN AND SOUTHWESTERN
PAYNE COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM CDT...
AT 302 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTH OF
GUTHRIE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
VERY HEAVY RAIN...
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GUTHRIE...LANGSTON...COYLE...CEDAR VALLEY...CIMARRON CITY...
MERIDIAN AND SEWARD.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
LAT...LON 3611 9720 3588 9714 3583 9714 3573 9748
3589 9758
TIME...MOT...LOC 2002Z 242DEG 26KT 3582 9745
11SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
349 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
OKZ020-032115-
PAYNE OK-
349 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL PAYNE COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM
CDT...
AT 346 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR STILLWATER...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
STILLWATER...YALE...GLENCOE...QUAY AND INGALLS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
LAT...LON 3616 9682 3616 9662 3615 9662 3602 9703
3612 9709 3625 9689 3624 9682
TIME...MOT...LOC 2046Z 234DEG 19KT 3609 9702
MAHALESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
406 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
OKZ019-020-026-032130-
LOGAN OK-LINCOLN OK-PAYNE OK-
406 PM CDT SUN JUL 3 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN LOGAN...NORTHWESTERN
LINCOLN AND SOUTHEASTERN PAYNE COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM CDT...
AT 404 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PERKINS TO 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
MERIDIAN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CUSHING...PERKINS...CARNEY...TRYON...AGRA AND MERIDIAN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
&&
LAT...LON 3578 9695 3577 9739 3594 9723 3602 9678
3592 9677
TIME...MOT...LOC 2104Z 252DEG 27KT 3592 9712 3581 9728
MAHALEThe Norman radar (KTLX), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:13 UTC.
4 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado reported by spotters and documented with public photos. County EM reported damage just north of 32nd and Prairie Rd.
No damage reported.
Chaser took video of flooding throughout Norman.
No damage reported.
Six to eight inch deep water flowed across a county road.
A 49 year old woman was traveling on a rural road near Pink, OK when her car was swept of the road by floodwaters, resulting in a direct fatality. The car was found in the creek soon after, but her body was not found until the following Tuesday.
Inside lane of northbound I-35 was under water in the construction area between state highway 9 and Lindsay street. Northbound traffic was using single outside lane.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Pottawatomie | 2016-07-03 | 49 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 2016Warnings in Oklahoma, July 2016
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: 644285, 642973, 642974, 642975, 642976, 644313, 642977, 642978, 644323, 642979.