Hurricane Milton is strengthening in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. Milton is expected to become a major hurricane and bring significant impacts to Florida this upcoming week, including heavy rain and flooding, life-threatening storm surge, and damaging winds. Meanwhile, a late season heat wave will continue across portions of California into the Desert Southwest through Monday. Read More >
The combination of a very moist air mass, unstable air, fairly strong wind shear for late July, and a potent low pressure disturbance allowed for widespread showers and thunderstorms across much of Oklahoma and parts of western north Texas (see image below). Surface dew points were generally in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Precipitable water values were over 2 inches, above the 99th percentile for late July. The air was unstable with MLCAPE 1000-2500 J/kg. The low pressure disturbance helped to lift the moist unstable air.
Climatology of Precipitable Water (PWAT) |
12Z (7am) Environmental Sounding |
The showers and storms moved southeast throughout the night, moving into deeper moisture. These showers and storms became very efficient at producing heavy rain. Rainfall rates were generally 1-3 inches per hour in the heaviest bands, though unusually high rates up to 9 inches per hour were observed. These rates overwhelmed drainage systems and small ditches and waterways, causing flash flooding with impassable roadways and numerous water rescues 3-9 am near the Oklahoma City metro and Lawton areas. A few severe thunderstorms occurred near Weatherford and Lawton, producing hail up to the size of golf balls and 60-65 mph winds.
NWUS54 KOUN 261353 LSROUN PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 853 AM CDT FRI JUL 26 2013 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0550 AM FLASH FLOOD 2 WSW VALLEY BROOK 35.39N 97.51W 07/26/2013 OKLAHOMA OK BROADCAST MEDIA KWTV REPORTS I-240 AND SANTA FE FLOODED...WITH UP TO 1 FOOT OF WATER COVERING ROADWAYS AND WATER UP TO CAR BUMPERS. 0620 AM FLASH FLOOD 3 NE WILL ROGERS AIRPOR 35.44N 97.57W 07/26/2013 OKLAHOMA OK BROADCAST MEDIA KOCO REPORTS SW 29TH AND MAY AVE FLOODED WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF WATER WITH 4 TO 5 CARS FLOODED/STALLED. 0626 AM FLASH FLOOD LAWTON 34.60N 98.42W 07/26/2013 COMANCHE OK BROADCAST MEDIA KSWO 7 NEWS IN LAWTON REPORTED NUMEROUS ROADS/INTERSECTIONS CLOSED IN AND AROUND THE LAWTON/FT. SILL AREA DUE TO FLASH FLOODING. 0641 AM FLASH FLOOD 2 SW OKLAHOMA CITY 35.44N 97.55W 07/26/2013 OKLAHOMA OK STORM CHASER STORM CHASER/MEDIA PHOTOGRAPHER REPORTS INTERSECTION OF SW 20TH AND PENN FLOODED...UP TO 1 FOOT OF WATER. 0656 AM FLASH FLOOD 3 W NORMAN 35.22N 97.50W 07/26/2013 CLEVELAND OK PUBLIC PUBLIC REPORTS W MAIN ST CLOSED DUE TO FLASH FLOODING BETWEEN NW 36TH AND 48TH. NW 36TH CLOSED SOUTH OF W MAIN STREET DUE TO FLOODING...STALLED CARS. 0700 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 SSW NORMAN 35.20N 97.45W 07/26/2013 CLEVELAND OK BROADCAST MEDIA KWTV REPORTS INTERSECTION OF ELM AND LINDSEY FLOODED WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF WATER. 0700 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 SSE NORMAN 35.21N 97.44W 07/26/2013 CLEVELAND OK NWS EMPLOYEE NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTS THE INTERSECTION OF BOYD AND CLASSEN FLOODED WITH 1 TO 2 FEET OF WATER. 0700 AM FLASH FLOOD 1 S NOBLE 35.12N 97.39W 07/26/2013 CLEVELAND OK NWS EMPLOYEE NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTS WATER OVER HIGHWAY 77 IN SOUTH NOBLE. && $$ JTK
The following image from the Oklahoma Mesonet shows the total precipitation from 5 AM CDT July 25 to 5 AM CDT July 27. Much of the higher amounts fell in as little as 2 to 4 hours.
ASUS64 KOUN 270317 RTPOK OKLAHOMA TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 732 PM CDT FRI JUL 26 2013 VALUES REPRESENT 18 HOUR HIGH... 18 HOUR LOW AND PRECIPITATION OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 7 PM CDT .BR OUN 0726 C DH19/TAIRZS/TAIRZI/PPDRZZ : : HIGH LOW PCPN : :...WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS... LTS : ALTUS AFB : 88 / 72 / .06 CSM : CLINTON : 87 / 69 / 1.17 FDR : FREDERICK : 88 / 72 / .40 GAG : GAGE : 89 / 67 / TRACE GUY : GUYMON : 88 / 64 / .15 HBR : HOBART : 87 / 70 / 2.04 LAW : LAWTON/AIRPORT : 87 / 71 / 4.44 FSI : LAWTON/FORT SILL : 86 / 72 / 5.58 SPS : WICHITA FALLS : 88 / 73 / .35 : :...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA... GOK : GUTHRIE : 86 / 72 / 1.08 OKC : OKLAHOMA CITY/WILL ROGERS : 85 / 71 / 3.55 PWA : OKLAHOMA CITY/WILEY POST : 83 / 69 / 2.67 TIK : OKLAHOMA CITY/TINKER AFB : 82 / 70 / 2.13 PNC : PONCA CITY : 88 / 70 / .22 SWO : STILLWATER : 85 / 71 / 1.30 : :...EASTERN OKLAHOMA... BVO : BARTLESVILLE : 82 / 71 / 1.45 MLC : MCALESTER : 79 / 71 / 1.54 MKO : MUSKOGEE : 78 / 71 / .42 ...PCPN ESTIMATED... TUL : TULSA/INTL AIRPORT : 82 / 71 / .81 RVS : TULSA/JONES AIRPORT : 83 / 73 / .52 .END THESE DATA ARE PRELIMINARY AND HAVE NOT UNDERGONE FINAL QUALITY CONTROL BY THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER /NCDC/. THEREFORE THESE DATA ARE SUBJECT TO REVISION. FINAL AND CERTIFIED CLIMATE DATA CAN BE ACCESSED AT WWW.NCDC.NOAA.GOV.
Images above from Grady County. Photos courtesy of Pattie Anderson |
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Image above from Cotton County. Photo courtesy of Bryan Goode |