Ticker for March 15, 2001

                
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March 15, 2001     March 15, 2001     March 15, 2001     March 15, 2001



Very Strong Winds Rake Oklahoma

On the west side of a very intense surface low, very powerful
straight-line winds scoured (and continue to scour) much of Oklahoma
this afternoon.  As of 3:30 pm, 74 observations at 19 different
Mesonet stations exceeded the severe wind threshold (> 57.4 mph)
usually reserved for thunderstorms.  At Cheyenne, in far western
Oklahoma, 18 such observations were made, including a stretch of
nine consecutive five-minute periods from 1:45 pm to 2:25 pm.

That surface low showed up extremely well on the 11:15 am Mesonet
surface map:



Notice the very strong winds pinwheeling around the calm observation
Newkirk in north central Oklahoma.


Here's a list of some of the last 24 hours' strongest gusts:

Station        Gust    Time
Medicine Park  64 mph   1:40 pm
Slapout        64 mph  12:30 pm
Butler         63 mph  11:05 am
Butler         62 mph   2:20 pm
Cheyenne       62 mph   2:05 pm
Medicine Park  62 mph   1:35 pm
Seiling        62 mph  11:15 pm
Boise City     62 mph   7:10 pm
Cheyenne       61 mph   2:15 pm
Cheyenne       61 mph   2:00 pm
Cheyenne       61 mph   1:45 pm
Slapout        61 mph  12:50 pm
Buffalo        61 mph  12:45 pm
Mangum         61 mph  12:40 pm
Buffalo        61 mph  12:40 pm
Bessie         61 mph  11:30 am
Boise City     61 mph  11:00 am
Hooker         61 mph   9:55 am
Boise City     61 mph   9:20 am
Seiling        61 mph  11:25 pm
Goodwell       61 mph   7:55 pm
Goodwell       61 mph   7:50 pm
Boise City     61 mph   7:15 pm