Oklahoma Tornado Potential May Uptick At the End of April

Oklahoma has already had an active year for tornadoes, and storm season is just getting started. Meteorologists are keeping an eye on the end of April as a weather pattern shift could uptick the tornado potential for Oklahoma and other states in the Great Plains region.

Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer posted to his official Facebook page on Friday, April 11 indicating that Oklahoma and other areas of the Great Plains could see an uptick in tornado potential at the end of April.

A major weather pattern shift is expected around April 18-20 as large trough evolves in the Mountain West and excites a strong, low-level jet stream across the Great Plains, "which will pump moisture northward and provide low-level shear necessary for tornadoes."

Oklahoma's severe weather uptick in late April could lead into early May.

TikTok meteorologist @wxwithpeyton is expecting the end of April into early May to be a very active time for severe weather in Oklahoma. The latest CFS long range predictor indicates that areas of Oklahoma and Texas have a high probability for producing supercells. And the NOAA extended forecast expects Oklahoma to be above average from precipitation from April 19 through May 2.

@wxwithpeyton After a break… severe weather looks to be back in the forecast as we move towards the most active time of the year 🌪️ #weather #weatheraware #severeweather #tornado #oklahoma #texas #tornadoalley #centralplains #rain #south #alabama #mississippi #dixiealley #aboveaverage #storm ♬ original sound - peyton⚡️

Oklahoma saw two violent tornadoes in April and May of 2024.

Oklahoma is nearly four months into 2025, and the state has already seen more than it did by this time in 2024. Last year Oklahoma recorded two tornadoes by March 31. This year, Oklahoma has confirmed 15 tornadoes, and 14 of those tornadoes took place on one day in March.

Last year was a historic year for tornadoes in Oklahoma. The state recorded 148 tornadoes for the entirety of 2024. It ranks as the second year for the most tornadoes in the state's history just behind 2019, which recorded 149 tornadoes and has held the top spot since 1950. In 2024, Oklahoma set a new record for the most tornadoes recorded in April with 56 tornadoes.

During this time, Oklahoma saw two EF-3 tornadoes and one EF-4 tornado, which was considered the most violent tornado to have hit the state in eight years. The violent EF-4 tornado hit Marietta, Oklahoma, on April 27, 2024 - a day that Oklahoma saw over 30 tornadoes.

As for May of 2024, Oklahoma saw over 50 tornadoes for the entire month. Another violent EF-4 struck Barnsdall on May 6, 2024. Oklahoma recorded 12 tornadoes on that day. Last year was also the first year since 2013 that Oklahoma has had two or more violent tornadoes in the same year.

@abcnews One of the hardest-hit areas in a deadly tornado outbreak overnight into Tuesday was Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma, north of Tulsa. At least 20 tornadoes were reported in a total of seven states. One person was killed and several injured in Barnsdall, according to the mayor of the city. The destructive tornado was the second to hit Barnsdall in the last month. #news #tornado #weather ♬ original sound - ABC News