An isolated severe thunderstorm moved from Hardeman County Texas into southwest Oklahoma, producing three brief tornadoes before weakening.
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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.
An isolated severe thunderstorm moved from Hardeman County Texas into southwest Oklahoma, producing three brief tornadoes before weakening.
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 13, 5:20 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 520 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 ...New AVIATION... .UPDATE... Issued at 140 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 We are monitoring the clearing over southwest parts of Oklahoma where sufficient warming into the lower 70s is eroding the cap. Overall convergence in the warm sector and near warm front is weak at the moment, but convergence appears to be increasing some from near Erick, eastward toward Anadarko. Thus we will monitor for convective development across southwest and west-central Oklahoma over the next 2 to 3 hours. Complex and widespread boundary layer wave clouds still indicate stability, but more in the way of deeper HCR development noted spreading into western north Texas and southwest Oklahoma from the west. Large hail would be the primary concern if any storm that forms is able to mature. Movement of any storm would be fast (30 to 40+ KT) to the north and northeast. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday) Issued at 309 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 Severe thunderstorms are ongoing and will continue to develop this afternoon across the Texas panhandle. Initially, these thunderstorms should be quasi-discrete supercells. However, the thunderstorms are expected to eventually grow upscale and coalesce into a qasi-linear convective system as they cross the 100th meridian into Oklahoma, coincident with decreasing buoyancy with eastward extent. Consequently, the (relatively) highest threat for severe weather will be along the first row or two of counties, east of the 100th meridian, for damaging wind gusts and large hail. Embedded supercellular structures and/or mesovortices will result in an attendant tornado threat as well, especially with a strengthening low-level jet. We'll have to watch for any discrete supercells that remain ahead of the line, which would have a higher tornado risk. Another area we'll have to watch carefully (for convection) is along the remnant/diffuse front or to its south in the warm sector (see update above). Even if this occurs, they could quickly cross the front into the cooler air mass. Severe weather risk should markedly decrease as the storms move past the first row or two of counties toward central Oklahoma and become elevated and lose their intensity. As a matter of fact, it appears more likely the storms will be non-severe than severe by the time they approach Central Oklahoma. However, with a moderate to strong low-level jet, some gusty winds may still reach the surface. Convection should exit by far southeast Oklahoma Sunday morning. In the systems's wake, breezy south to southwest winds are expected tomorrow afternoon--especially across the western half of Oklahoma and adjacent parts of north Texas. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions may develop by the afternoon, especially across the far southwest parts of the area. A Fire Danger Statement may be needed. Mahale && .LONG TERM... (Sunday night through next Friday) Issued at 309 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 Seasonable temperatures are expected on Monday with highs in the 60s and 70s deg F. As a shortwave trough approaches from the west on Tuesday, a low-level thermal ridge will develop across the Southern Plains. As a result, above-average temperatures are forecast by Tuesday afternoon with highs in the 70s to near 80 deg F. Strong to perhaps severe thunderstorms are possible Tuesday night into early Wednesday as the system moves through with increasing instability and shear ahead of the aforementioned wave. Currently, any wrap-around precipitation is expected to be rain as of right now. Colder weather is expected in the front's wake with below average temperatures for the latter half of the week. Mahale && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 517 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 Mainly MVFR conditions expected tonight. Some showers possible early in the forecast before a line of storms moves from west to east across the area impacting all the sites overnight. This activity should push east shortly after sunrise with quickly clearing skies. Gusty southeast winds this evening will weaken some toward morning before south/southwest winds increase again by mid/late morning on back side of exiting storm system. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 50 66 45 66 / 90 10 0 0 Hobart OK 45 64 42 66 / 100 0 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 50 68 47 71 / 100 0 0 0 Gage OK 39 62 36 60 / 100 0 0 0 Ponca City OK 52 66 44 63 / 80 40 0 10 Durant OK 53 68 48 73 / 80 50 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...10 LONG TERM....10 AVIATION...30
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Norman OK 709 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-150115- 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- 709 PM CST Sat Mar 13 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight... .Thunderstorms... There is an slight risk of severe thunderstorms west of a line from Waynoka to Watonga to Lawton to Wichita Falls Texas. A marginal risk remains farther east to near I-35. Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible this evening across parts of western Oklahoma and western north Texas. The stronger storms will be capable of producing large hail to the size of golf balls, strong damaging wind gusts over 70 mph, and an isolated tornado remains possible. .Flooding... Heavy rainfall that may occur this evening and early Sunday morning could cause localized flooding. Areas closer to the Kansas border are more likely to have the most rain. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday... .Thunderstorms... There is a chance for thunderstorms Tuesday night and Wednesday. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.
The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:17 UTC.
3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Two independent storm chasers reported a brief tornado estimated to have been approximately 7 miles west-northwest of El Dorado.
A storm chaser observed a brief tornado estimated to have been about 6 miles south of McQueen OK. Power flashes were observed with this tornado, but no reports of tree or structure damage were received.
A tornado developed near the community of Russell, and moved north-northeast. A shed was destroyed, two tractors damaged and the porch of a house was damaged at one farm, and two sheds were destroyed at another farm. Some of the debris was scattered for 1.5 miles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oklahoma, 2021Warnings in Oklahoma, March 2021
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: 949119, 949120, 949121.