Mike Smith
June 8, 1974
For so late in the season and so far south, an amazing tornado outbreak occurred in Oklahoma and Kansas on June 8, 1974. The City of Oklahoma City was struck by tornadoes five times that day – the world record for number of tornado strikes affecting a single city in 24 hours. F3 or greater intensity tornadoes occurred from Oklahoma City northeast through Tulsa and as far north as Emporia where an F4 killed six.
I dug the original NAFAX charts received at WKY TV (where I was working, NBC in OKC) out of storage to create this email. Because of the potential similarities between June 8, 1974 and June 5, 2008, I am posting this information in hopes that it helps the meteorological community handle what might be a major tornado situation so that we all serve the public and our clients to the best of our scientific ability.
300mb
The closed low was in southwest Wyoming at 12Z. The strongest wind was at ABQ where it was 275° at 85 kt. DDC was 230° at 65 kt.
500mb
At 12Z Friday, June 7, there was a digging 547 dm low on the Idaho-Montana border. By 12Z Saturday, June 8, it was a closed 553 dm low 50 E of GJT.
700mb
At 12Z on the 8th, the 700mb low was near COS. The OKC temperature was +9°C with a Td of +8° and a southwest wind of 50 knots. However, MAF had a temperature of +15 and a spread > 30° (how dry air was reported in 1974).
850mb
The 850 low was closed and at the far west tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. OKC had a 190° wind at 40 knots. DDC had a 5 kt west wind and TOP had an ESE wind at 10 knots. Some of these disturbed winds in Kansas were due to the widespread morning rain across Kansas and Oklahoma.
Stability
This is where the data, looking back, is really surprising. At 12Z, the 100mb mixed lifted index at DDC was +5. TOP +4. OKC 0. You had to go to Ft. Worth to go negative and it was only –2. This was because the airmass went stable after the morning rain.
Surface
15Z: There was a 994 low between AMA and CDS. The warm front extended to CSM to just east of PNC to the Missouri border east of CNU. The dry line had already passed CDS, where blowing dust was reported, with a Td of 53. LBB was 78/40.
In the warm sector, OKC had a 120° wind at 10 kt. and was 77 over 72. Press was 997 mb. ICT was 67/63 with rain ended in the past hour. Press was 997 mb.
18Z: 991 surface low over GUY. The warm front extended east through the southern row of Kansas counties. Dryline had passed LTS but the T/Td is illegible. CDS had a west wind as 20 kt. and (remember its 18Z) 91 over 36. AMA had a Td of 41 and LBB had a Td of 37.
In the warm sector, OKC was 81/72 with a southeast wind of unk speed.
ICT was 68/68 with rain.
I hand plotted a surface chart (which I still have not found) at either 2 or 3pm. FSI had blowing dust with a temperature of 101 with a dew point (if I recall) in the 30’s. I don’t remember the max temp. at OKC. The first of the tornadic storms arrived quite early, around 3-3:30 if I recall. TUL and Shawnee areas (which had tornadoes) would have reached higher temperatures that afternoon than OKC.
Radar
Three supercell thunderstorms developed just ahead of the dryline. The southernmost of the cluster turned right and the first tornado of the outbreak hit the NWS office at Will Rogers World Airport. The NWS office had to be evacuated.
The 2335Z hand drawn radar chart shows 54,000 ft. tops from south OKC to near BVO.
In Kansas, the thunderstorms are much more widespread (near the warm front) with a 63,000 ft. top near EMP.
Summary
F3-F4 tornadoes occurred in the warm sector across central and northeast Oklahoma as well as in eastern Kansas with this event.
Good luck and stay safe everyone!
For so late in the season and so far south, an amazing tornado outbreak occurred in Oklahoma and Kansas on June 8, 1974. The City of Oklahoma City was struck by tornadoes five times that day – the world record for number of tornado strikes affecting a single city in 24 hours. F3 or greater intensity tornadoes occurred from Oklahoma City northeast through Tulsa and as far north as Emporia where an F4 killed six.
I dug the original NAFAX charts received at WKY TV (where I was working, NBC in OKC) out of storage to create this email. Because of the potential similarities between June 8, 1974 and June 5, 2008, I am posting this information in hopes that it helps the meteorological community handle what might be a major tornado situation so that we all serve the public and our clients to the best of our scientific ability.
300mb
The closed low was in southwest Wyoming at 12Z. The strongest wind was at ABQ where it was 275° at 85 kt. DDC was 230° at 65 kt.
500mb
At 12Z Friday, June 7, there was a digging 547 dm low on the Idaho-Montana border. By 12Z Saturday, June 8, it was a closed 553 dm low 50 E of GJT.
700mb
At 12Z on the 8th, the 700mb low was near COS. The OKC temperature was +9°C with a Td of +8° and a southwest wind of 50 knots. However, MAF had a temperature of +15 and a spread > 30° (how dry air was reported in 1974).
850mb
The 850 low was closed and at the far west tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. OKC had a 190° wind at 40 knots. DDC had a 5 kt west wind and TOP had an ESE wind at 10 knots. Some of these disturbed winds in Kansas were due to the widespread morning rain across Kansas and Oklahoma.
Stability
This is where the data, looking back, is really surprising. At 12Z, the 100mb mixed lifted index at DDC was +5. TOP +4. OKC 0. You had to go to Ft. Worth to go negative and it was only –2. This was because the airmass went stable after the morning rain.
Surface
15Z: There was a 994 low between AMA and CDS. The warm front extended to CSM to just east of PNC to the Missouri border east of CNU. The dry line had already passed CDS, where blowing dust was reported, with a Td of 53. LBB was 78/40.
In the warm sector, OKC had a 120° wind at 10 kt. and was 77 over 72. Press was 997 mb. ICT was 67/63 with rain ended in the past hour. Press was 997 mb.
18Z: 991 surface low over GUY. The warm front extended east through the southern row of Kansas counties. Dryline had passed LTS but the T/Td is illegible. CDS had a west wind as 20 kt. and (remember its 18Z) 91 over 36. AMA had a Td of 41 and LBB had a Td of 37.
In the warm sector, OKC was 81/72 with a southeast wind of unk speed.
ICT was 68/68 with rain.
I hand plotted a surface chart (which I still have not found) at either 2 or 3pm. FSI had blowing dust with a temperature of 101 with a dew point (if I recall) in the 30’s. I don’t remember the max temp. at OKC. The first of the tornadic storms arrived quite early, around 3-3:30 if I recall. TUL and Shawnee areas (which had tornadoes) would have reached higher temperatures that afternoon than OKC.
Radar
Three supercell thunderstorms developed just ahead of the dryline. The southernmost of the cluster turned right and the first tornado of the outbreak hit the NWS office at Will Rogers World Airport. The NWS office had to be evacuated.
The 2335Z hand drawn radar chart shows 54,000 ft. tops from south OKC to near BVO.
In Kansas, the thunderstorms are much more widespread (near the warm front) with a 63,000 ft. top near EMP.
Summary
F3-F4 tornadoes occurred in the warm sector across central and northeast Oklahoma as well as in eastern Kansas with this event.
Good luck and stay safe everyone!
