Oklahoma Severe Weather Discussion - April 2012

[venture]

Here is the morning Upper Air Sounding from Norman.

Moderately unstable this morning already with no CAP. We'll see CAP increase a bit through the day. One of the more concerning part is the STM value for later today - that is Storm Motion. Right now it is good at NE @ ~30 to 34 mph. However late it is expected to increase to 40 to 50 mph making advanced warning times very limited.

For a more detailed break down, go to http://www.weatherspotlight.com and click on Soundings. You'll see a chart with values and their relative meanings and can compare to the soundings.

[ou48A]

Are there still major city of Norman streets that are blocked off due to yesterday’s tornado?
OU’s spring football game has been moved up to 1:30 pm http://www.soonersports.com/

[Luther Wu]

Ok- the tornado sirens are blaring at 2:25 am. Per radar, etc, the main storm body has moved north of OKC, for the most part and the 'suspected' tornado is maybe 15 miles from here. Is it really necessary to wake up the whole town?

[Wishbone]

[ou48A]

Norman PD recommends routes for Red-White game traffic

Read more: http://newsok.com/norman-pd-re...1#ixzz1s1qprAwB

Norman city officials strongly suggest that persons planning to attend the OU Red and White football game this afternoon avoid using the core-area streets, such as Berry Road, Flood Avenue (Hwy 77), and Porter (Sunnylane).

The police department recommends routes include I-35 to Hwy 9 and Sooner Road (12th Avenue).

[SoonerDave]

STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR YIELDING EFFECTIVE SRH IN EXCESS OF 300
M2/S2...MAINTAINED BY BACKED SFC WINDS...WILL SUPPORT A THREAT FOR
TORNADOES

Venture, through a bit of self-education I've become reasonably good at decoding these SPC bulletins, but while I understand the concept of low-level shear, I'm not able to figure out what "SRH" means, or what that unit of 300 m2/s2 is conveying. Could you educate me a bit, pls?

[SoonerDave]

AHA after I posted that, I found the answer - SRH: "Storm-Relative Helicity," referring to a characteristic of a storm to rotate...

For any other "self-educating" weather junkies out there, there's a really nice top-level glossary of storm/meteorological terminology available at http://www.pilotfriend.com/pilot_resources/met/a.htm

[Uncle Slayton]

Norman PD recommends routes for Red-White game traffic

Read more: http://newsok.com/norman-pd-re...1#ixzz1s1qprAwB

Norman city officials strongly suggest that persons planning to attend the OU Red and White football game this afternoon avoid using the core-area streets, such as Berry Road, Flood Avenue (Hwy 77), and Porter (Sunnylane).

The police department recommends routes include I-35 to Hwy 9 and Sooner Road (12th Avenue).

It took me an hour and a half to go from my home near Lindsey & McGee to Sooner Mall to return a rental car and then get back home, a total round trip of about five miles.

Besides the closed roads and gawker traffic, people have apparently assumed that traffic laws/signals, especially stop signs, have no meaning at all.

If you come here, be careful and be prepared to wait.

[adaniel]

It took me an hour and a half to go from my home near Lindsey & McGee to Sooner Mall to return a rental car and then get back home, a total round trip of about five miles.

Besides the closed roads and gawker traffic, people have apparently assumed that traffic laws/signals, especially stop signs, have no meaning at all.

If you come here, be careful and be prepared to wait.

Wow thanks for the heads up. I was actually about to walk out the door to go to the Spring Game, although maybe I should have left earlier.

[Uncle Slayton]

Wow thanks for the heads up. I was actually about to walk out the door to go to the Spring Game, although maybe I should have left earlier.

Maybe it was just my bad timing, but sometime between 9:45 when I left for the mall and when I got back home, traffic just exploded. There's a lot of foot traffic too, people wandering around with cell phones taking videos, even saw one guy with an iPad "filming" a video with his girlfriend. Dads letting their kids stand in holes in the ground left by fallen trees, with the giant root ball looming above, etc.

If you can get east of Berry, you might be OK. I don't attend football games, so I don't know the usual traffic routes. Last I checked, Lindsey east bound off I-35 was closed, 24th between Brooks and Lindsey is closed. These are just routes I ran across in my usual Saturday meandering, I don't know about any others.

[SoonerBoy18]

Shame on the city of Mustang for NOT turning on the sirens last night

[Uncle Slayton]

Well, the supermarket is completely apocalyptic. Any new data indicating that this thing is gonna happen in central OK or will it be north?

[SoonerDave]

Slayton, best I can tell is the SPC draws the "high risk" line roughly from east of Woodward-to-Weatherford, and then north of I-40. I haven't seen anything that would suggest the threat has mitigated, unfortunately. That said, it was clear earlier today that the chasers headed north to Kansas en masse, so that tells me that a good many of those folks think there's a better chance for chasing/spotting up there. I wouldn't assume anything has changed, still looks like anywhere in west-west central OK is at risk for severe weather today.

[BG918]

Storms beginning to fire up in far western OK where it has been clearing. More development possible through late afternoon with rapid storm movement.

[Uncle Slayton]

Slayton, best I can tell is the SPC draws the "high risk" line roughly from east of Woodward-to-Weatherford, and then north of I-40. I haven't seen anything that would suggest the threat has mitigated, unfortunately. That said, it was clear earlier today that the chasers headed north to Kansas en masse, so that tells me that a good many of those folks think there's a better chance for chasing/spotting up there. I wouldn't assume anything has changed, still looks like anywhere in west-west central OK is at risk for severe weather today.

Thanks, SD...was starting to think they were moving things off to the north. Where's Venture? I've tried to find his 'room' all over the net and I can't do it.

[Jim Kyle]

It's at http://www.weatherspotlight.com/chat.html and he's on-line there right now.

[Uncle Slayton]

It's at http://www.weatherspotlight.com/chat.html and he's on-line there right now.

Thanks, Jim. I'm trying to get moderated, lol. He's catching 'em faster than he can string 'em at the moment.

[Jim Kyle]

Yep; I'm lurking there but don't have anything to add to the stream...

[NikonNurse]

Its easier to come back down the dry line as storms develop, I could understand them heading towards Kansas early...if you see the way the storms form last night, all they have to do is just come back down south west and have a field day.

I was having high hopes as long as the sun wasnt completely out....now that Im blinded (lol) I dont feel so good anymore...got that weird (hope its media induced) feeling....

[bandnerd]

Thanks, Jim. I'm trying to get moderated, lol. He's catching 'em faster than he can string 'em at the moment.

Is there something we're supposed to do to get added? I posted a message a few minutes ago but it's not up. I realize venture probably isn't here, but some of you know that place better than I do.
Edit: Never mind. :P Patience is a virtue, it seems, I do not possess!

[Hollywood]

Has it begun to clear west and maybe even south of the metro area? Still more or less overcast in Edmond.

[BG918]

Looks to be more of a wind/hail/heavy rain threat for central and eastern OK now..

[Uncle Slayton]

Looks to be more of a wind/hail/heavy rain threat for central and eastern OK now..

Yeah, all the fuss and it'll end up being nothing more than boomy thunderstorms and rain...good sleeping weather. And maybe 25 metro area HS proms cancelled, lol.

From all indications currently available, this was a *huge* bust for central OK. Very disappointed in this outcome.

[Of Sound Mind]

Yeah, all the fuss and it'll end up being nothing more than boomy thunderstorms and rain...good sleeping weather. And maybe 25 metro area HS proms cancelled, lol.

From all indications currently available, this was a *huge* bust for central OK. Very disappointed in this outcome.

How can you be disappointed with a potential life-threatening crisis not materializing as predicted? I prefer a "bust" over the alternative. To say otherwise is selfish and completely insensitive to people who would suffer loss of property or potentially life had what they were saying could happen did in fact occur. I never understand that mindset.

[Mel]

Shame on the city of Mustang for NOT turning on the sirens last night

Ditto. My son called from Yukon and woke me up, they were going off there. I'd rather be cautious than oblivious.