Widespread, mostly sub-severe convection, developed on the periphery of a low-pressure center as it traversed across portions of the Ozarks. Localized heavy rainfall across eastern Oklahoma lead to an instance of flash flooding near Seminole, OK.
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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.
Widespread, mostly sub-severe convection, developed on the periphery of a low-pressure center as it traversed across portions of the Ozarks. Localized heavy rainfall across eastern Oklahoma lead to an instance of flash flooding near Seminole, OK.
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 May 15, 4:45 AM CST, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
545 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023
...New AVIATION...
.SHORT TERM...
(Today and tonight)
Issued at 213 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023
Many of the models agree with one more round of precip lifting north
through Texas and into south-central and southeast Oklahoma toward
central Oklahoma Monday morning before the upper wave gets picked up
by the main westerlies and begins to shift east of the area late
today. Although a few strong storms not completely out of the
question, do not anticipate any severe storms today. However, PWAT
remains high, so heavy rainfall will continue to be a concern today.
A Flood Watch remains in effect through early this afternoon for
much of central and southern Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, large surface high settles southward from the northern
Plains, which will push surface front back south through the area
later today and tonight. This combination should bring an end to the
precip for much of the area for at least a couple of days.
Lower dewpoints will follow the front southward tonight and even
with quite a bit of residual cloud cover, temps should fall into the
50s across much of the area by Tuesday morning.
&&
.LONG TERM...
(Tuesday through Sunday)
Issued at 213 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023
Northwest flow keeps conditions cool and less humid through the
middle of the week. This flow begins to break down as we go through
Wednesday and into Thursday as several shortwaves move through the
central Rockies out into the Plains. This will bring rain chances
back into the area late Wednesday into Thursday.
These chances linger into Friday as a stronger wave moves through
the upper mid-west, which drives a cold front south through the
area. Latest indications are that there could be sufficient
instability ahead of this front for a round or two of strong to
severe storms both Thursday and Friday afternoon before drier and
cooler weather return for the weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 536 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023
IFR ceilings, with some improvement to MVFR for a brief period,
is likely through the TAF period. Showers and thunderstorms will
continue to move through the area this morning, slowly tapering
off from west to east by late afternoon and evening. Winds will be
out of the north-northwest throughout the period, with periods of
gusts above 10kts.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK 72 56 73 55 / 70 20 0 0
Hobart OK 74 53 79 53 / 50 10 0 0
Wichita Falls TX 78 57 79 57 / 40 10 10 0
Gage OK 70 50 79 53 / 20 0 0 10
Ponca City OK 72 55 72 52 / 80 20 0 0
Durant OK 82 61 77 58 / 50 40 10 0
&&
.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...Flood Watch until 1 PM CDT this afternoon for OKZ013-017>020-
023>032-038>048-050>052.
TX...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...30
LONG TERM....30
AVIATION...13Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Norman OK 344 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-160845- 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- 344 AM CDT Mon May 15 2023 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... .Thunderstorms... Showers and thunderstorms will continue across much of Oklahoma and north Texas today before shifting east and south of the area tonight. Severe weather is not expected. .Heavy Rain... Slow-moving storms will be capable of producing very heavy rainfall, which could lead to localized flooding. A flood watch is in effect for much of central and southern Oklahoma through early this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday... .Thunderstorms... Thunderstorms chances return late Wednesday and continue through Friday. It appears severe weather is possible Thursday and Friday. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.
The Norman radar (KTLX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:36 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous streets flooded due to heavy rainfall.
Strother Street, east of Main Street, closed due to continued flooding/water across the roadway.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 2023
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: 1103473, 1103475.