April 22/23, 2011: Tulsa hail and mammatus clouds

(ABOVE: My wife Shyla didn't have to storm chase to gather these. Yes, she ran out into our front yard during the storm to get them! The largest measures 2.2" wide.)

Tulsa county was battered by hail on consecutive days.

On Friday, April 22, 2011, golfball to tennis ball-sized hail beat up cars in south Tulsa county. The southern suburbs including Glenpool, Jenks, Bixby and Broken Arrow received the largest hail. Here's a bit more about the hail.

Soon afterward, mammatus clouds developed over Tulsa, a somewhat rare sight. Here is small article I wrote for KJRH regarding those clouds.

The following night on April 23, 2011, another hail storm developed in the Tulsa area. While the hail wasn't quite as large, quarter to golfball-size hail pelted cars and roofs through the middle of town. The storm formed near Kellyville, then tracked across west Tulsa, the Brookside area, Utica Square, the University of Tulsa and Tulsa International Airport. (I guess folks who unknowingly left their exposed cars in the airport parking lot may return to find hail divets in their hoods.)

Enjoy these pictures sent in by KJRH viewers! George

(ABOVE: A few baseball-sized hailstones fell in Bixby. BOTTOM: The Hall family found the largest hailstones in Bixby. These 3" hailstones are slightly larger than baseballs!)

(ABOVE: Richard Waters took this beautiful picture of the mammatus clouds over South Tulsa. You can see the City Plex Towers in the bottom right. BELOW: Janie Molloy Ledbetter had an amazing view of the mammatus clouds near Bristow. She wanted to me call them "mammary clouds" on TV... and I did.)

(BELOW: Most of the hail near Channel 2 was the size of quarters. But a few dense, golfball-sized hailstones like these damaged cars. Clay Holder photo.)

(BELOW: Storm chaser Paul Haines was chasing this Tornado Warned storm near Henryetta near sunset. If you see a cloud such as this one, which looks like a rotating space ship, then stay away! The last picture is what can happen if you don't stay away.... Tornado Warned storms can throw out huge hail away from the main precipitation core. The storm ejected baseball-size hail on to cars along Interstate 40, cracking his windshield.)

BOOOM!!! How to not make friends before sunrise

This story was from last week. This note from KJRH Executive Producer Loren Cosby sums up "local flavor". Just one of those tight-lipped smiles and slow nods for this one.

Funny storm damage reports

(ABOVE: I snapped a quick picture of the computer screen when I saw this come across. I guess smoking kills, right?!)

I really should start keeping track of the storm reports (LSRs) from the National Weather Service (NWS). Each office puts out a list of LSRs during and after severe weather events, and most of them usually don't stand out.

But occasionally you'll see local flavor.

From the past years, I remember a poorly worded LSR: "Mobile home destroyed. No significant damage". In Arkansas, I've seen "Lawnmower thrown into chicken house" and other stuff which provides a chuckle.

I'll try to post them in the future on my blog when I see them. Until then I'll be on the lookout for people (above picture)with cigarettes in case any more "smokers are tossed and destroyed by wind" ;)

George