Sunday, May 22, 2011

Severe Weather Update - Oklahoma


Thunderstorm development could occur at any time during the next hour within the red outlined area on the latest Tulsa radar image above.  Thunderstorms will not form all along the dryline in this region, but on an isolated to scattered basis.  Any thunderstorm that forms will quickly become severe with very large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes possible.

A persistent echo is present on radar in extreme southern Okfuskee County.  That may be the first cumulus tower to break the cap and explode into a thunderstorm.  Another more recent echo continues to show up in Murray County.

The atmosphere is extremely unstable across the region.  Hailstones will likely exceed baseball size with any organized storm that forms.  Due to the extreme instability and increasing wind shear with height that is also developing across the region, tornadoes will also be possible.

Once formed, storms are likely to initially move Northeast or East/Northeast, then turn more toward the East as they mature.

Please stay alert if you live in northeast, central or southcentral Oklahoma along and ahead of this boundary during the next few hours.

3 comments:

The Planet Pink said...

Is there a time at which you'd consider the greatest threat to have passed? Sundown?

Rob White said...

Planet Pink,

Here's the long and short of it as of this moment: if something doesn't develop right overhead during the next 30-45 minutes, it looks to me like all major activity will be East of Tulsa this evening.

Right now, visible satellite & radar show storms trying to form just South of Okmulgee and just North of Claremore. You can also clearly see the towering cumulus line on radar running through Tulsa from near Collinsville to Sapulpa, drifting Eastward.

Stay tuned. Another detailed post coming up around 5:30...

The Planet Pink said...

Thank you so much. I so appreciate your willingness to answer my questions. :-)