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MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... May 25, 2011 May 25, 2011 May 25, 2011 May 25, 2011 El Reno Mesonet measures 151 mph wind gust The Oklahoma Mesonet site located 5 miles WNW of El Reno had a very close encounter with a tornado last night. The twister in question was the long-track violent tornado that first touched down north of Lookeba. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110525/fxc_Storm_Summary.jpg During that encounter, the Mesonet site recorded a maximum wind gust of 151 mph, with a 1-minute average wind speed of 115 mph. The 1-minute average wind speed amounts to 20 samples averaged together. Definitely a bad hair day for the El Reno Mesonet site. The meteogram with that data included is quite striking. The 150.8 mph wind gust stands out, obviously, as as does the sudden drop in pressure as the tornado approached and either grazed or passed over the Mesonet site. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110525/ELRE.met.gif If we drill down to the 1-minute data, however, we get a more complete picture. This view displays the 1-minute data from 4-5 p.m. http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110525/ElReno-1minuteMeteogram.png At 4:21 p.m., the maximum wind gust (WX1M - light blue) jumped to 150.8 mph and the average wind speed for that minute (WS1M - dark blue) came in at 115.3 mph. The instrument that measured that wind speed is an RM Young Wind Monitor: http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110525/data_pic_rmyoung.jpg On the meteogram, our 2-meter wind (W21M - red line) measurements had an average wind speed of 79.2 mph and a maximum gust of 126 mph before obviously failing. That instrument is an RM Young Wind Sentry cup anemometer: http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20110525/data_pic_windsentry.jpg It's unclear at this time whether it failed due to the high winds or possibly wind-driven hail. A look at the observations through time: Time Max Gust Avg Speed Wind Direction Pressure (mph) (mph) (degrees) (mb) 4:18 p.m. 61 47 207 947.0 4:19 p.m. 66 53 173 946.5 4:20 p.m. 131 81 159 936.6 4:21 p.m. 151 115 256 929.1 4:22 p.m. 91 77 294 940.5 4:23 p.m. 56 40 329 942.9 The 151 mph wind gust tops our previous Mesonet record of 113 mph, recorded at the Lahoma site on August 17, 1994. That measurement was not associated with a tornado and the wind instrument failed after being pelted with wind-driven large hail. Even the El Reno AVERAGE wind speed of 115 mph tops that Lahoma gust, but we must remember the Lahoma wind instrument failed. The Mesonet's 100 mph gusts: May 24, 2011: 151 mph at El Reno May 24, 2011: 131 mph at El Reno August 17, 1994: 113 mph at Lahoma May 4, 2006: 106 mph at Idabel November 9, 1998: 102 mph at Bowlegs We will hopefully update this Ticker with pictures from the site sometime later today. Gary McManus Associate State Climatologist Oklahoma Climatological Survey (405) 325-2253 gmcmanus@mesonet.org ================================================== The OCS/Mesonet Ticker https://ticker.mesonet.org/ To subscribe or unsubscribe from the Ticker or for questions about the Ticker or its content Phone or Email the Ticker Manager at OCS Phone: 405-325-2253 Email: ticker@mesonet.org --------------------------------------------------- -C- Copyright 2023 Oklahoma Climatological Survey ===================================================