Severe weather in OKC forecast again for late March
With erratic weather changes that have brought severe thunderstorms, a strong tornado and even snow flurries to Oklahoma, it’s already been a rough transition into spring. But forecasters think there’s a good chance it soon could get rougher.
Not long after a devastating tornado system ravaged south central and southeastern U.S. states, another storm system is expected to travel through the same region early next week. An additional storm system is expected to follow close behind.
“There’s a good shot you’ll see some more action here, especially from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and on eastward, out of this event,” said Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist and lead long-range forecaster at AccuWeather. “For the central and eastern zones, late Tuesday into Wednesday, there’s an opportunity for more severe weather, perhaps more tornadic activity and large hail-producing storms.”
Pastelok warned another storm system was projected during early April for parts of Oklahoma and Kansas, but he said it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where it’ll hit so far in advance.
“We’re not sure how big of an event that’s supposed to be at this point, but it’s something to watch for,” Pastelok said.
Meteorologists are charting an increase of life-threatening storms that could spawn more tornadoes than in years past. Between 1,350 and 1,475 tornadoes are predicted across the U.S. in 2022, according to AccuWeather.
Between March and May, up to 585 tornadoes are in the forecast, with April alone projected to carry up to 275 tornadoes — a significant increase than last year’s 73 for the same month.
“I do think it’s going to be a bit rough in the eastern part of the state, but not so much in the western part of Tornado Alley,” Pastelok said. “And the worst of the weather, the tornadoes are probably going to be, again, in the Mississippi-Tennessee-western Ohio Valley this year.”
Climatologists have sounded the alarm on increasingly drastic weather conditions throughout the U.S. in recent years, which have caused shorter but colder winters and longer and hotter summer seasons.
“We’re seeing that severe weather can happen at any time, not just during the March-April-May time period,” Pastelok said. “And that could be because of changes in the climate, and it could be changes in the patterns’ cycles. We see things happen in the Pacific Ocean that are translating into more amplified patterns. We’re seeing the waters warming farther north in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico staying warm all the way into the winter season, not cooling off fast enough.”