Oklahoma’s Second Active Severe Weather Season Kicks Off

Experts have been urging Oklahomans to prepare for a second active severe weather season this fall, and it may have just kicked off this week in central Oklahoma. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, several areas of central Oklahoma were rocked by high winds, rain and huge hail.

As storms began to pop off Tuesday evening, local meteorologists were getting photos and videos from people around Edmond and Oklahoma City of gigantic hail.

People were able to collect buckets of hail ranging from golf ball to tennis ball sizes.

News 9 Meteorologist Lacey Swope reported on her official Facebook page that the storm dropped massive hail for 30 miles, which is "insane" even for Oklahoma.

Giant mesocyclone dropped massive hail over central Oklahoma.

What was more amazing to meteorologists than the amount and size of the hail was the giant mesocyclone that dropped all the hail. Local meteorologists received some incredible photos from viewers.

And one of the News 9 storm trackers filmed incredible video of the beast.

Oklahomans are all too familiar with mesocyclones. These are giant rotating air masses within a thunderstorm that can spout a tornado. On Tuesday, a tornado didn't form from the mesocyclone but it did cause destruction with the size, amount and duration of hail dropped.

On Wednesday morning, Oklahomans reported damage to homes, vehicles and lawns from the hail. A golf course in Edmond saw hail embedded into the ground, destroying greens and fairways.

Second severe weather season may be underway in Oklahoma.

Earlier this year, experts began predicting an active second severe weather season for Oklahoma this fall. It may not be as active as Oklahoma's typical severe weather season in the spring with the amount and size of tornadoes, but the fall storms will still be able to produce tornadoes, along with damaging hail and high winds - just like central Oklahoma saw this week.

An active hurricane season is what can cause a second active severe weather season in Oklahoma as "waves of cold air begin to dive southward, clashing with the warm and humid air entrenched across most of the central and eastern portions of the nation." As of Wednesday, Sept. 25, the seventh tropical cyclone has been upgraded to a hurricane and is expected to be a CAT 3 as it makes its way to Florida.

@accuweather 🚨 Helene is now a Category 1 hurricane. It will continue to strengthen, likely to intensify into a Category 2 by Wednesday evening with maximum sustained winds of at least 96 mph.⁣ ⁣ #helene #hurricanehelene #gulfofmexico #hurricane #tropics #gulfcoast #florida #floridapanhandle #weather #forecast #accuweather ♬ original sound - AccuWeather

Oklahoma has a recent history of active fall storm seasons.

Because of the highly-active hurricane season this year, meteorologists are expecting this to impact fall severe weather, specifically in September and October for Oklahoma. These severe storms are expected to produce damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes.

Oklahoma has been known to produce a record number of tornadoes in October. In 2021, during a La Nina, Oklahoma recorded 28 tornadoes. The previous record was from October of 1998 with 27 tornadoes. Since 1950, Oklahoma has seen a total of 195 tornadoes in October. Comparing this year's tornado season to 2021, the hurricane season that year was the third-most active hurricane season on record, producing 21 named storms.