For those that can read METARs

[KHAOS]

Being a student pilot and a weather buff, I have always had my eyes toward the skies.

I grew up in the suburbs of Oklahoma City, OK, moving away in the summer of 1999 at the age of 15.  I survived the May 3rd, 1999 massive tornado outbreak that ripped through the heart of the city, leaving 48 people dead with hundreds injured.  

We're watching TV coverage now as another tornado outbreak sweeps through central Oklahoma this evening.

I looked up the METARs and the TAFs for Will Rogers World Airport (KOKC) for the past few hours.  It's very rare you'll see words spelled out in a METAR or TAF, as everything's abbreviated.  The word TORNADO is the exception:

KOKC 102252Z COR 19016G22KT 10SM FEW060 SCT075 BKN100 28/22 A2947 RMK TORNADO B2154 NW TORNADO E04 AO2 PK WND 16030/2155 TSE52RAE27GSB05E16 SLP965 CB DSNT NE-SE P0019 T02830222

KOKC 102222Z 31011G29KT 250V340 3SM -TSRA SCT035CB BKN070 BKN095 BKN250 27/19 A2950 RMK TORNADO B2154 NW TORNADO E04 AO2 PK WND 16030/2155 GSB05E16 OCNL LTGIC OHD-SW-N TS OHD-SW-N P0019

KOKC 102213Z 24014G28KT 2SM +TSGSRA FEW025CB BKN060 BKN120 OVC250 25/21 A2953 RMK TORNADO B2154 NW TORNADO E04 AO2 PK WND 16030/2155 GSB05 PRESRR OCNL LTGIC OHD-SW-N TS OHD-SW-N P0013

KOKC 102205Z 13014G28KT 3SM TSGSRA FEW025CB BKN060 BKN120 OVC250 26/21 A2944 RMK TORNADO B2154 NW TORNADO E04 AO2 PK WND 16030/2155 GSB05 OCNL LTGIC OHD-SW-N TS OHD-SW-N P0006

KOKC 102157Z 16021G31KT 10SM +FC -TSRA FEW025CB BKN060 BKN150 OVC250 26/21 A2946 RMK TORNADO B54 NW AO2 PK WND 16030/2155 PRESFR P0000

KOKC 102152Z 17019G32KT 6SM -TSRA SCT025CB BKN060 BKN140 OVC250 27/21 A2947 RMK AO2 PK WND 19038/2053 TSB35RAB45 PRESFR SLP966 OCNL LTGIC OHD-SW-N TS OHD-SW-N MOV NE P0000 T02670206

KOKC 102135Z 17022G37KT 9SM TS SCT025CB BKN140 BKN250 28/20 A2951 RMK AO2 PK WND 19038/2053 TSB35 OCNL LTGIC SW TS SW MOV NE

KOKC 102052Z 18025G34KT 10SM SCT025 BKN033 30/21 A2956 RMK AO2 PK WND 19037/2015 SLP998 6//// T03000206

KOKC 102028Z 18027G34KT 10SM SCT025 BKN033 28/21 A2957 RMK AO2 PK WND 19037/2015

KOKC 102000Z 15017G28KT 10SM SCT025 BKN029 26/20 A2958 RMKS AO2 PK WND 18032/1959 SLP008 T02630202

KOKC 101901Z 16018G25KT 9SM SCT021 BKN029 24/19 A2965 RMK AO2 $

KOKC 101852Z 16017G25KT 9SM FEW018 SCT026 BKN032 25/19 A2965 RMK AO2 SLP030 T02500194

KOKC 101752Z 16020G24KT 7SM BKN015 BKN020 OVC030 21/18 A2971 RMK AO2 SLP052 T02110178 10211 20139

KOKC 101652Z 16015G22KT 5SM BR OVC008 19/17 A2974 RMK AO2 SLP064 T01890167 $

KOKC 101552Z 16017G25KT 3SM BR OVC008 18/17 A2976 RMK AO2 PK WND 16027/1528 SLP071 T01830167 $

KOKC 101452Z 16020G27KT 3SM BR OVC008 18/16 A2978 RMK AO2 PK WND 17027/1448 CIG 006V011 SLP079 60000 T01780161 58028

KOKC 101352Z 16017G27KT 3SM BR OVC006 16/15 A2982 RMK AO2 PK WND 15027/1345 SLP091 T01610150
KOKC 101333Z 16018G23KT 4SM BR OVC006 16/14 A2983 RMK AO2

KOKC 101252Z 15016G25KT 2SM BR OVC006 14/14 A2984 RMK AO2 RAB07E21 SLP099 P0000 T01440139

KOKC 101152Z 15017G21KT 5SM BR OVC006 14/13 A2987 RMK AO2 RAB36E47 SLP109 P0000 60000 T01440133 10144 20122 58015

KOKC 101728Z 1018/1118 16020G28KT P6SM OVC010
     FM101900 16022G30KT P6SM OVC018
     FM102000 18025G35KT P6SM SCT040CB
     TEMPO 1020/1023 VRB25G40KT 1SM +TSRA OVC012CB
     FM102300 18025G35KT P6SM SCT200CB
     FM110300 25010KT P6SM SCT040
     FM110700 34010KT P6SM SCT250
     TEMPO 1110/1113 4SM BR
     FM111500 03008KT P6SM OVC020
  

We've got our eyes glued to The Weather Channel, and this all brings back memories.  I have one of my best friends down there in OKC right now on business who called me up an hour ago saying he saw a funnel cloud as the storm started to develop.  My family and I recognized some of the footage coming in of a few places being obliterated by the storm - a mere 5 miles from our old house.  I pray that nobody is seriously injured or killed.  This is some heavy, heavy stuff.  

[sykocus]

Interesting +FC is supposed to be tornado or waterspout (waterspout is just a tornado over water AFAIK). I've never seen it in practice but I always thought it was funny since +FC would be literally "heavy funnel cloud" and that always seemed to understate it a little.

[KHAOS]

I was commenting to my dad who's an international airline pilot, how these terms in the METARs you really only see in textbooks and rarely IRL.  He agreed.  

Insane stuff.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/05/10/severe.storms/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

[JetScan1]

FlightAware shows Skywest flight 51Z landing at 16:53 CDT (21:53Z) 1 minute before the Tornado is reported to have started (RMK TORNADO B2154 NW).

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW51Z/history/20100510/2015Z/KSLC/KOKC

And Flagship (Pinnacle) 3983 departing at 16:48 CDT (21:48Z)  6 minutes before the Tornado.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/FLG3983/history/20100510/2139Z/KOKC/KMEM

Maybe some interesting PIREPS out there too ?

[tyketto]

Seeing that there was a multi-vortex tornado reported in Wakita (about an hour west of Ponca City, up I-35), there should be some great PIREPs out there. Not much for OKC proper though (my dad lives about 5DME north of KTIK). There is video flying around (pun intended) of that tornado.

BL.