National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

 Forecast and Warning Products

National Severe Storms Forecast Center

The National Severe Storms Forecast Center – now known as the Storm Prediction Center – issued a severe weather outlook at 2 am indicating a High Risk of severe weather from northern Texas across much of Oklahoma and Kansas and into southeastern Nebraska. A High Risk forecast was somewhat less common in 1991, with only 1 or 2 risks per year, than it is today, owing to lesser technologies than are currently available. Later outlook updates throughout the day continued the High Risk. 

The NSSFC issued many Tornado Watches through the day, containing the “Particularly Dangerous Situation” wording. PDS Tornado Watches, as they are commonly referred to, were first used on April 2nd, 1982, and are reserved for days in which there is a high confidence that many very dangerous and damaging tornadoes will occur.

Tornado Watch #182	Tornado Watch #183	Tornado Watch #184	Tornado Watch #193
Current Watch and Radar Graphic - 735 pm CDT April 26, 1991		Tornado Watch #197	Tornado Watch #200

National Weather Service Office Wichita

A Special Weather Statement issued early the morning of the 26th by the National Weather Service office in Wichita relayed the high risk of severe thunderstorms, urging people to listen for later watches and warnings. The statement also highlighted that the morning thunderstorms ongoing at the time would not be the only thunderstorms that day. 

Severe weather occurred for much of the day across south central Kansas, with the first Severe Thunderstorm Warning coming out of the Wichita office at 6:42 am for Cowley County. The first Tornado Warning for the afternoon and evening storms was issued for portions of Harper and Sumner counties at 5:25 pm. All-in-all, of the 22 counties in the Wichita NWS area of responsibility, 17 were under at least one Severe Thunderstorm Warning and 15 under at least one Tornado Warning on the 26th.

National Weather Service Office Norman

National Weather Service Office Tulsa

Thunderstorm outlooks issued early morning and again early afternoon on the 26th by the National Weather Service office in Tulsa highlighted the dangerous weather conditions expected during the afternoon and evening in eastern Oklahoma. They urged residents and other interested parties to have a heightened awareness during the day due to the likelihood of tornadoes.

Special Weather Statement - NWS Tulsa - 530 am CDT	Special Weather Statement - NWS Tulsa - 130 pm CDT

The Tulsa NWS issued its first afternoon Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 6:47 pm for a storm in Osage County. Osage County also received the first Tornado Warning of the night a short time later at 7:14 pm. The Tornado Warning was issued for a storm in Kay and Noble counties that, at the time, was producing the long tracked, violent Red Rock tornado. Although most of the Tornado Warnings were issued because of radar indications, some warnings and statements contained mention of storm spotters seeing tornadoes in the field.

Tornado Warning - NWS Tulsa - 714 pm CDT	Tornado Warning - NWS Tulsa - 746 pm CDT			Tornado Warning - NWS Tulsa - 832 pm CDT
Tornado Warning - NWS Tulsa - 915 pm CDT			Tornado Warning - NWS Tulsa - 944 pm CDT