Lahoma, OK Hail and Wind Storm of August 17, 1994

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Description of the Event

During the late evening hours of August 16, 1994, a system of thunderstorms moved from central Nebraska into central Kansas, where the storms began to weaken. As the system continued on its southerly track into Oklahoma, it evolved into an unusually strong and rare type of thunderstorm around 2:00 p.m. on August 17. Extreme wind and hail damage was reported in Major, Garfield, Kingfisher and Canadian county, but with only one very weak tornado.

The Oklahoma Mesonetwork (Mesonet) is a statewide, automated network of meteorological observing stations with at least one station per county. At 2:50 p.m., the Mesonet recorded temperatures over 100 ° F in western Oklahoma, as the storm passed directly over the Mesonet site located near Lahoma in north-central Oklahoma. The station reported sustained winds of 78 mph from 2:45 to 2:50 p.m. and winds gusting to 113 mph between 2:45 and 2:55 p.m. as well as a 37 ° F temperature drop in 15 minutes.

Large hail also fell at Lahoma between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m. One citizen reported a chunk of ice measuring 4 inches by 6 inches. Most of the hailstones were between golfball and tennis ball size and they accumulated to depths between three and six inches. Hail up to three inches deep still lay in some shady areas in Lahoma 24 hours after the storm. Most structures in Lahoma were damaged, with most damage on the east and north sides of buildings. Paint and siding were stripped off the buildings. In Lahoma, 102 residences were damaged with 25 mobile homes and one house completely destroyed. Also, the Lahoma post office and the Cimarron School gymnasium suffered roof damage. Several businesses, including an RV dealership that lost its entire inventory, also suffered damage.

There were several minor injuries and two people were treated for hypothermia. (The temperature briefly dropped into the 40's in Lahoma as the hail accumulated on the ground.) However, no deaths were reported from this violent, late-summer thunderstorm.

Publications

Morris, D.A., and P.R. Janish, 1996: The utility of mesoscale versus synoptic scale surface observations during the Lahoma hail and windstorm of 17 August 1994. 18th Conf. on Severe Local Storms, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Morris, D.A., and M.A. Shafer, 1996: Detailed surface observations during the Lahoma hail and windstorm. 18th Conf. on Severe Local Storms, Amer. Meteor. Soc.

Images & Animated Loops:

Regular 15 Minute Oklahoma Mesonet Data
SPECIAL One Minute Oklahoma Mesonet Data
NEXRAD Loops
Satellite Loops

Regular 15 Minute Oklahoma Mesonet Analysis

One-minute Oklahoma Mesonet Analysis

	Air Temperature (2 MB QuickTime movie)		Air Temperature Image (1955 UTC)
	Solar Radiation (2 MB QuickTime movie)		Solar Radiation Image (1955 UTC)
	Altimeter Setting (3.6 MB QuickTime movie)		Altimeter Setting Image (1955 UTC)
	Wind Vectors (2 MB QuickTime Movie)		Wind Vector Image (1946 UTC)