3 Things Norman and OKC Locals Need to Know About Winter Tornadoes

For residents of OKC and Norman, tornado season isn’t a surprise; mostly safe to expect, you can see tornadoes anywhere from March through August, sometimes later too. But these weather events are incredibly unpredictable and can often come as a second wave during the winter months as well.

If you’re unfamiliar with the occurrence of winter tornadoes or haven’t witnessed one in your lifetime, it doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. Here are a few key things to remember about them:

1.     Twisters can take place at any time of the year

Twisters, though typically occur in spring, can happen any time of the year. Seasonal changes and transitions make for a dangerous time in particular because this is when tornadoes most commonly strike. The transition from fall to winter, coupled with multiple ice and snowstorms, thunderstorms, and other weather events, can make for quite the dangerous combination.

In fact, Oklahoma has seen dozens of winter tornadoes in the past, despite the seemingly unfavorable circumstances for their formation. Some of the deadliest tornadoes that have occurred, including one from February 2009, have been during the winter months. Long Grove has remained one of Oklahoma’s deadliest tornadoes since 1950, making the ranks alongside Moore’s 2013 tornado.

It’s simply not worth the risk to delay seeking appropriate protection because you’re assuming a tornado won’t occur for another few months.

2.     They often strike at night and can be surprising

What’s exceptionally dangerous is that a lot of tornadoes occur in the dead of night. When coupled with the severe weather conditions in winter, these tornadoes become doubly lethal. As recent as 2015, a cluster of tornadoes killed eight people and injured multiple more in Oklahoma, simply because they were unprecedented and struck at night.

What could have been preventable deaths, unfortunately, became fatalities due to insufficient preparation for these cold-weather tornadoes. It’s important that locals from Norman and OKC prepare for winter tornadoes just as they would for spring or summer.

3.     Winter tornadoes tend to be deadlier due to speed

Perhaps even more preparation is necessary because winter tornadoes tend to be deadlier. There could be several reasons for this, including the faster, more lethal speed. Winter tornadoes don’t have the same force as those in summer due to a lack of hot air, but they move much faster and thus, cause more devastation.

As a resident, you shouldn’t delay or ignore the need for safe storm shelters and underground cement shelters. Get in touch with us, and we’ll provide you with a free estimate and other overview of our services in Norman and OKC.