Ticker for May 3, 2024

                
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Monday Blahs




Just a quick Tick to Tock about some of Mother Nature's recent foolishness. As far
as I can count, and I went through my fingers and toes nearly 4 times (I got
extrys just in case), our Oklahoma tornado count for April is now up to 49.

Yes, 49!

Preliminary still, of course, but that puts us very close to at least tying April
2011 for second-highest April twister tally (hey, April Twister Tally was my
band's name in dog obedience school!) since accurate records began in 1950,
but still behind 5 behind April 2012's 54. And 2024's tornadoes came over 5 days:

April 1: 5
April 26: 6
April 27: 24
April 28: 9
April 30: 5

By strength:

EF0: 9
EF1: 29
EF2: 2
EF3: 2
EF4: 1
EFUnknown: 6

Add 2 tornadoes from March 14 and that gives us 51 for the year, just 6 behind
out long-term (1950-2023) average of 57 or so. Some says 58, I says 57.



I don't know what the heck's going on. People keep finding tornadoes in the past,
and we still have the rest of May staring us in the face! Heck, we had a May's
worth of tornadoes on April 27 alone.

And Monday is one of those days we could see those numbers go up. It's a day that
bears watching, although wouldn't we all rather be watching bears? Or even Daaaa
Bearzzzzz! It's 4 days away, but this is ample time to formulate a plan for
severe weather. You don't want to be caught with your pants down (don't search
the police blotters...I'm innocent, I tell ya!).

Speaking of tornadoes, we could see very heavy rains the next couple of days,
especially across SW OK.



Finally, can't believe it's been 25 years since the horrific May 3, 1999,
tornado outbreak across Oklahoma that killed 40 and caused over a billion
dollars of damage in the state. Here's a detailed summary of the event from
our friends at the Norman NWS office.

https://www.weather.gov/oun/events-19990503

We don't need anymore May 3, 1999s, we don't WANT anymore May 3, 1999s. However,
it always pays to be extra vigilant in Oklahoma during Spring. So while Monday
doesn't look like a day like that, get prepared/be prepared.

Gary McManus
State Climatologist
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
gmcmanus@mesonet.org