A strong storm system with unseasonable moisture brought heavy rainfall and high winds to the area.
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 strong storm system with unseasonable moisture brought heavy rainfall and high winds to the 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 Dec 26, 5:39 AM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 539 AM CST Wed Dec 26 2018 .AVIATION... TAFs 2612/2712... Scattered showers a few thunderstorms have developed over western north Texas and southwest Oklahoma during the past hour. Showers and storms are expected to become more numerous and move north and east through the morning. Meanwhile, fog will lower visibility to around 1 mile across northwest Oklahoma through the morning with some improvement through the afternoon. Elsewhere, mainly IFR ceilings are expected over the next 12 hours at most TAF sites with some improvement to MVFR ceilings in and around thunderstorms. During the evening, showers and storms will gradually end from west to east with mainly VFR conditions. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 319 AM CST Wed Dec 26 2018/ DISCUSSION... Scattered showers and perhaps a few elevated storms will continue to develop through sunrise. It appears a better concentration of showers will be across northern Oklahoma, along and near an area of better convergence and moisture gradient. There may be a 2-3 hour lull in precipitation around sunrise, but lift will continue to increase as a strong trough approaches. This will also increase the chances of mainly elevated storms and the potential for heavy rainfall. How much near surface instability if any is somewhat questionable for this afternoon/early evening. At this point will go more with the solution of mainly elevated storms and areas of heavy rainfall. Later today and this evening, as cold mid level temperatures overspread the area, enough CAPE will be available for the risk of hail, mainly across the western half/third of the forecast area. The upper low/trough will lift north of the southern Plains early Thursday. This will bring a quick end to shower and thunderstorm chances as drier air is advected into the region. Will continue to keep slight/chance POPs for mainly light snow late Friday into Saturday. At this time, it appears any snow accumulation will be light. Another system may influence our weather late in the weekend into early next week. For now will mention a slight chance of a cold rain and or rain/snow mix across mainly the southeast part of Oklahoma. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 60 45 54 28 / 100 100 0 0 Hobart OK 61 40 51 25 / 100 60 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 63 46 57 31 / 100 90 0 0 Gage OK 59 34 45 19 / 90 50 0 0 Ponca City OK 59 45 55 24 / 90 100 10 0 Durant OK 63 50 63 34 / 80 100 10 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Norman OK 511 AM CST Wed Dec 26 2018 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-271115- 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- 511 AM CST Wed Dec 26 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... .Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain... Showers and thunderstorms will become more numerous across portions of western north Texas and southwestern Oklahoma through this morning, and then spread north and eastward over most of Oklahoma. A few strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon and evening, especially across western Oklahoma and western north Texas. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible across portions of Oklahoma and north Texas through early Thursday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday... .Winter Weather... There is a chance of light snow across most of Oklahoma, and western north Texas early Saturday morning through Saturday evening. Some locations across western and northwestern Oklahoma could receive one to two inches of snowfall accumulation. 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
751 AM CST WED DEC 26 2018
OKZ038-261415-
Comanche OK-
751 AM CST WED DEC 26 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR western Comanche County Until 815
AM CST....
AT 747 AM CST, a strong thunderstorm was located 5 miles south of
Cache, moving north at 45 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Hail up to one-half inch diameter...
Minor flooding in areas of poor drainage...
Locations impacted include...
Western Lawton, Cache, Medicine Park, Meers, Lake Lawtonka, Fort
Sill, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Mount Scott, Doris
Campground and The Visitor Center.
LAT...LON 3485 9839 3450 9858 3450 9866 3451 9866
3451 9869 3485 9873
TIME...MOT...LOC 1347Z 192DEG 37KT 3455 9863
MAXWELLThe Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:00 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Extensive flooding reported over central parts of the county, especially near Buffalo Creek.
Carports blown over on cars.
Fire department reported 2 barns destroyed, a house with all windows blown out by debris, a barn wrapped in power lines, and 4 power poles down. Time is radar estimate.
Roof blown off of a small extension on the west side of a building near KFDX studio.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2018
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: 797742, 797734, 797735, 797738, 797737.