Storm near Norman
Monday, May 6, 2024
- Largest hail
- —none reported
- Strongest wind
- 75 mphgust
- Tornadoes
- 0none reported
- Reports
- 8within 10 mi
8 reports
- 70 mph gust (estimated)4.6 mi NW of central Norman2.1 mi NW of (Oun)Norman Westheimer Arpt · Cleveland County · NWS Employee
A tree was snapped.
- 75 mph gust (estimated)8.2 mi NNW of central Norman0.5 mi SE of Moore · Cleveland County · Public
Social media image showing a large tree limb blown down, laying on a house. Time is radar estimated.
- 70 mph gust (estimated)7.8 mi N of central Norman2.4 mi E of Moore · Cleveland County · Trained Spotter
Social media report of large tree limbs blown down. Time is radar estimated.
- 75 mph gust (estimated)7.5 mi N of central Norman1.9 mi ESE of Moore · Cleveland County · Public
Social media report of multiple power poles blown down on Bryant Avenue between Southeast 19th Street and Southeast 4th Street. Time is radar estimated.
- 64 mph gust (estimated)5.2 mi N of central Norman3.2 mi NNE of (Oun)Norman Westheimer Arpt · Cleveland County · Trained Spotter
Social media image showing a tree limb blown down. Time is radar estimated.
- 70 mph gust (estimated)6.9 mi N of central Norman4.0 mi ESE of Moore · Cleveland County · Public
Social media image showing a tree blown down. Time is radar estimated.
- 70 mph gust (estimated)3.5 mi N of central Norman2.2 mi NE of (Oun)Norman Westheimer Arpt · Cleveland County · Trained Spotter
Social media image showing a power pole leaning due to thunderstorm wind. Time is radar estimated.
- 60 mph gust (measured)6.9 mi N of central Norman4.0 mi ESE of Moore · Cleveland County · Amateur Radio
Also hit that day: Oklahoma City, OK, Moore, OK
What the National Weather Service wrote
A significant severe weather outbreak, including ten (10) tornadoes, impacted northern and central portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area during the evening of the 6th into the early morning hours of the 7th. The synoptic pattern across the western half of the Continental United States favored a significant severe weather episode across the region, with a powerful (110-120 knot) upper-level jet streak ejecting across the Central Plains during the evening of the 6th. In concert with robust kinematics in place, extreme instability (pockets of >4000-5000 J/kg of CAPE) promoted an environment favorable for significant severe weather. As such, the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare 'High Risk' of severe weather for portions of central and northern Oklahoma, the first to include portions of the WFO Norman Forecast Area since 20 May 2019.
Read the full description
Initial supercell thunderstorms developed in the late afternoon off an accelerating dryline/Pacific front near the 100th meridian. These initial supercell thunderstorms produced large to very large hail and damaging wind gusts, though failed to undergo tornadogenesis. This may have been due to the propensity for rapid and strong downdraft surges in the vicinity of low-level mesocyclones (among other factors). With time, as storms matured and moved into an environment characterized by richer low-level moisture, and as low-level flow increased, multiple tornado occurrences did result. Additional supercell thunderstorms and thunderstorm clusters developed by the late evening of the 6th across west-central into central Oklahoma. A particularly impactful cluster moved across the southern Oklahoma City Metropolitan area, producing numerous reports of significant thunderstorm wind damage (and gusts) and two weak tornadoes.