Anniversary of Rare December Tornadoes in Oklahoma Fast Approaching

It's pretty common knowledge to expect tornadoes in Oklahoma. We'd like to think that outside of the most active seasons of the year, we're safe from mother nature's destruction. But as December quickly approaches, so do the anniversaries of the three of the strongest winter tornadoes in Oklahoma.

"Bad Things Come In Threes"

Tornadoes in December aren't completely unheard of in Oklahoma. Since 1950, the National Weather Service has only recorded 38 tornadoes, three of which reached F3/EF3 status:

• Dec. 5, 1975 - Okmulgee, Muskogee, and Wagoner, Oklahoma
• Dec. 5, 1975 - Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Dec. 31, 2010 - Adair, Oklahoma; Washington and Benton, Arkansas

Although the Adair tornado on Dec. 31 was an EF3 in Arkansas, it dwindled to EF2 status when it crossed Oklahoma's state lines.

Luckily, Oklahoma didn't see any fatalities from any of these tornadoes, but Arkansas did lose four people on New Years Eve in 2010. The Tulsa tornado on Dec. 5 caused the most injuries out of the three, leaving over 30 people hurt in its wake.

Oklahomans Learn To Expect The Unexpected

Based on previous reports, the series of tornadoes that spun near Tulsa, Okmulgee, Muskogee and Wagoner, Oklahoma took nearly everyone by surprise. Although they didn't take anyone's lives, they did cause severe damage to neighborhoods and businesses.

Videos of the ominous white funnel caught moments of it winding its way through the outskirts of Tulsa, tearing apart buildings and even causing sparks while more than likely ripping out telephone poles and power lines.

Could Oklahoma See More Tornadoes in December?

On Dec. 5, 1975, Oklahoma saw favorable conditions for a severe storm, but meteorologists monitoring the radars didn't see the storm developing into a full-fledged tornado. From a synopsis about that day, the authors wrote that there was "no obvious difference between the echo movements of tornadic and non-severe storms." That year, Oklahoma had experienced above average temperatures and above average precipitation. 

@nicekidd This was everyone in Oklahoma this morning. Tornado Warning in December? #tornado #tornadowarning #oklahoma #relatable ♬ Oklahoma Theme Song - nicekidd | oklahoma ceo

The most recent damaging winter tornado touched down in Garvin, Oklahoma on Dec. 13, 2022. Oklahoma saw the most tornadic activity in history for the month of December in 2022 with a total of eight tornadoes. In the past, most years hadn't seen more than four tornadoes during the month. That winter, Oklahoma also saw more above average temperatures and precipitation.

@thejoieinlife The NOAA Winter Outlook has been released! Will we get more snow this year? #winteroutlook2024 #winter #snow #rain #oklahoma #weather #winterweather ♬ original sound - theJOIEinLife

Currently, the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is anticipating a warmer winter than normal, with above average temperatures and less seasonal precipitation than we're used to seeing. But we all know how everchanging Oklahoma weather is.

Even if we aren't expecting tornadoes in December in Oklahoma, history proves that it can still happen.

Do you think we'll be seeing tornadoes this December? Message us your predictions now through the app.

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