2024 Year in Review

Drought, fires, snow, ice, record-breaking rainfall (daily and monthly), record-breaking number of tornadoes (monthly) - we had it all this year. The following table lists the statistics for the NWS Norman Weather Forecast Office's area of responsibility in Oklahoma and Texas.

Daily temperature graph for 2024 at Oklahoma City, Lawton, and Wichita Falls.

It was a very active year in 2024 with respect to severe weather and tornadoes. Pictured below are all of the severe thunderstorm warnings (yellow) and tornado warnings (red) that were issued in 2024.

Below are a few interesting tornado statistics for the entire state of Oklahoma:

• Annual total: 152 (Rank: Highest annual number of tornadoes, previous record was in 2019)
• Seasonal totals: - Spring (Mar-May): 112 (Rank: 3rd highest spring total) - Autumn (Sep-Nov): 39 (Rank: Highest autumn total, previous record was in 2021)
• Monthly totals: Jan: 0 Feb: 0 Mar: 2 Apr.: 56 (this is a new record for April) May: 54 June: 0 July: 1 Aug: 0 Sep: 1 Oct: 2 Nov: 36 (this is a new record for November) Dec: 0

As for our area of responsibility, the Norman county warning area (CWA), a record-breaking 111 tornadoes occurred. Below is the record number of annual tornadoes in the Norman CWA:

• 111: 2024
• 94: 1999
• 85: 2015
• 77: 1955
• 77: 1995

Click around on the map (below) to see all of the hail, wind gusts/damage, flash flood, and flood reports that were submitted to our office throughout 2024.

Mid-January was much colder than usual, with the statewide average temperature bottoming out at 35.1°F below average (January 14) as an arctic airmass plunged into the southern plains. By the end of the month, our area returned to above-average warmth with even record highs observed at some locations.

A strong mid-level trough brought blizzard conditions to northwest Oklahoma during the evening hours of January 8, 2024. This system also brought a few strong thunderstorms that morning, appreciable rainfall, and high winds. To dive deeper into this event, visit the storymap provided below.

While we saw some rain/snow early in February, the later half of the month was very dry. The lack of moisture, combined with above-average temperatures led to significant fire weather at the end of February.

As a strong (closed) upper cyclone moved from the Four Corners into central Texas, portions of western-north Texas observed a significant snowfall event from midday on the 11th into the morning of the 12th. Initially, rain was the dominant hydrometeor type, owing to warm (upper-30s/40s) surface temperatures. However, as the main system moved overhead, a combination of dynamic cooling and heavy rates yielded a changeover to all snow and accumulation. The axis of highest snow totals set up from far western-north Texas into southwest Oklahoma (near the Interstate 44 corridor).

Highest snowfall totals:

• 8 inches measured near Apache (Oklahoma)
• 6 inches near Lake Lawtonka (Oklahoma)
• 5 inches in Elk City and Hinton (Oklahoma)
• 4 inches in Bridge Creek (Oklahoma)
• 2 to 4 inches near Quanah and Margaret (Texas)

During the early morning hours of April 26, 2024, a line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved from west Texas and the southern Texas Panhandle into the NWS Norman forecast area in western north Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. As the complex moved eastward, the northern end of the thunderstorms intensified as it reached central Oklahoma. Eventually, several QLCS tornadoes were generated along the thunderstorm line in Cleveland, Pottawatomie, and Lincoln counties. Straight-line wind damage was also reported in these counties, as well as severe wind gusts of 61-63 mph.

NWS teams conducted storm damage surveys in central Oklahoma during late April 2024 and documented 6 weak tornadoes that occurred on April 26, 2024 in the NWS Norman forecast area. Four were rated EF-0 and two more were rated EF-1. One of the EF-1 tornadoes moved through Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties before crossing into Okfuskee County in the NWS Tulsa forecast area. Two other tornadoes that occurred in the NWS Tulsa forecast area in Okmulgee and Pittsburg counties were rated EF-1.

This severe weather outbreak was a long-fused event with tornado warnings beginning in the morning and continuing into the evening hours.

A slow-moving, but potent late April storm system produced an outbreak of at least 33 tornadoes and other severe weather from the late morning through the evening hours of April 27, 2024, and the early morning hours of April 28, 2024 in the NWS Norman forecast area. Excessive rainfall of 4 to 8.75 inches produced severe flash flooding and river flooding across parts of Oklahoma and western north Texas. Hail up to 3 inches in diameter and severe wind gusts up to 60 mph were observed during this event.

A total of 33 tornadoes occurred in the NWS Norman county warning area: 28 tornadoes in our Oklahoma counties and 5 tornadoes in our western North Texas counties. State-wide in Oklahoma, there were 36 tornadoes with 8 tornadoes that occurred in the NWS Tulsa forecast area.

The tornado that hit the Marietta, OK area was rated EF-4. This is the first violent tornado to occur in the NWS Norman forecast area since the May 9, 2016 "Katie" EF-4 tornado. Two other tornadoes that produced damage in the Sulphur, OK area and near Holdenville, OK were rated EF-3. The Marietta tornado killed 1 person (vehicle), and the Sulphur tornado also killed 1 person (inside a business). The Holdenville tornado killed two people including a 4-month-old baby.

During the mid-afternoon (~2:30-3:00 pm CDT) of April 30, 2024, thunderstorms began to form along a dryline that stretched from north central Oklahoma into west central and southwestern Oklahoma and also western north Texas in the NWS Norman forecast area. Some of these storms became supercell thunderstorms, and one supercell generated a tornado (rated EF-1) that hit parts of Cordell, OK in Washita County during the late afternoon of April 30th. Large hail (1.0 to 4.4 inches in diameter) was also reported in Blaine, Dewey, Greer, Kiowa, Major, and Washita counties.

As the event progressed, some thunderstorms in the middle of the line eventually dissipated by early evening. Around 7 pm CDT, one cluster of storms was located along the OK/KS state line in north central Oklahoma and southern Kansas, and another cluster of thunderstorms were occurring in southwestern Oklahoma. Just a few scattered reports of large hail and severe wind gusts were documented with the northern storms as they moved eastward and out of the NWS Norman forecast area, but these storms also dropped heavy rainfall (2- to 5-inch storm total amounts) in Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay and Noble counties, prompting the issuance of flash flood warnings.

During the evening of April 30th, the group of supercell thunderstorms in southwestern Oklahoma interacted with each other in various ways, and created odd movements in these storms and some of the weak tornadoes that they would produce. A total of 4 tornadoes were documented in Kiowa and Tillman counties, and two were unrated, one was rated EF-0, and one was rated EF-1. One tornado near Hollister, OK in Tillman County moved east and then northeast and then hooked back to the west-northwest before it dissipated. More reports of large hail (1.0 to 2.0 inches diameter)and severe wind gusts (58 to 62 mph) were received from southwestern Oklahoma during this time. Heavy rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 4 inches occurred in parts of the southwestern Oklahoma, and more flash flood warnings were issued.

A total of 15 tornadoes were documented in Oklahoma for The May 6-7, 2024 severe weather and tornado event. Of this total, 10 tornadoes occurred in the NWS Norman forecast area and 5 tornadoes occurred within the NWS Tulsa forecast area. Almost all of the tornadoes were unrated or weak with the exception of the deadly EF-4 tornado that hit the Barnsdall and Bartlesville communities as well as other areas in Osage and Washington counties, and an EF-2 tornado that traveled through Adair County into Arkansas. Both of these tornadoes occurred within the NWS Tulsa forecast area.

During the midafternoon (~2:00-2:30 pm CDT) of May 19, 2024, thunderstorms developed in the northwestern Texas panhandle in Lipscomb and Hemphill counties and moved eastward into western Oklahoma. One of the storms became a dominant supercell thunderstorm as it tracked east-southeastward through parts of Roger Mills County and produced hail to the size of golf balls and 75 mph wind gusts. As the supercell continued to the east-southeast into Custer County, it became tornadic, and dropped two tornadoes in the Butler-Custer City area and near Weatherford. Severe thunderstorm wind gusts and wind damage also occurred in Custer County.

The storm moved through southern Blaine and northern Caddo counties, and produced a tornado near Hydro, before entering Canadian County around 8:30 pm CDT. In Canadian County, tornadoes were reported in the Union City-El Reno area and near Yukon, and hail from 1.00 to 2.25 inches in diameter also occurred. As the supercell moved east-southeastward into Oklahoma County (and just north of the Oklahoma/Cleveland county line), it produced severe hail (1.00-1.75 inches in diameter), severe wind gusts up to 75 mph, and one brief tornado in the southwestern part of Oklahoma City and north of OCCC. The supercell eventually weakened as it moved east of the OKC metro area.

Meanwhile in northwestern Oklahoma, a severe thunderstorm had developed in Woodward County just before 8:00 pm CDT, and then more storms developed in eastern Harper, Woods, Major, and Alfalfa counties during the next couple of hours. Eventually, tornado warnings were issued for one supercell thunderstorm in Woods County around 11:00 pm CDT. The supercell generated two weak tornadoes in Woods County. These storms continued to the east into Grant, Garfield, Kay, Noble and Payne counties from just before midnight through the early morning hours of May 20, 2024. Some storms trained over Woods, Alfalfa, Grant, Garfield, and Payne counties during this period, and heavy rainfall totals of 1.5 to 4.0 inches were recorded, prompting the issuance of flash flood warnings for the affected area. A total of 16 tornadoes occurred with the following ratings: 2 EF-2 tornadoes, 6 EF-1 tornadoes, and 7 EF-0 tornadoes. One tornado that occurred in Custer County was unrated.

Just before 3:00 pm CDT on May 23, 2024, thunderstorms developed along a dry line in the eastern Texas panhandle and west Texas and began to move eastward. Eventually, a small group of storms moved into southwestern Oklahoma. One of these storms became a dominant supercell thunderstorm and produced large hail up to 3.0 inches in diameter, severe wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph, and wind damage. One very large tornado was accompanied by a satellite tornado in Jackson County, and both tornadoes produced damage. Another tornado occurred in Harmon County near Gould, OK.

On May 24, 2024, an NWS survey team determined that up to EF-2 damage was generated by a large tornado that occurred near Eldorado and Duke, OK. Three tornadoes were documented during the May 23, 2024 severe weather event.

A severe weather outbreak impacted portions of western Oklahoma and western north Texas during the afternoon into evening of May 25th. At upper levels, a high-amplitude trough passed across the Great Plains during the day, with a focused jet ejection across portions of the Texas Panhandle/Oklahoma. The combination of strong dynamics/kinematics, locally extreme instability (objective analysis depiction >6000 J/kg CAPE) and unseasonably rich low-level moisture was sufficient for significant supercell thunderstorms.

An initial round of supercells developed across portions of western-north Texas and eventually spread into portions of southwestern and southern Oklahoma through the evening. Additional supercells developed across northwestern Oklahoma, moving into northern Oklahoma by the late evening. All severe hazards, including multiple tornadoes, were observed with the most robust and longest-sustaining storms.

A total of 6 tornadoes occurred during the May 25, 2024 severe weather event within the NWS Norman forecast area. Five more tornadoes occurred in the NWS Tulsa forecast are during the late evening hours of May 25th in northeastern Oklahoma.

On September 24th, a high-amplitude upper wave moved into portions of the Upper Mississippi Valley during the day. A surface low/warm front intersection was the focal point for convective development during the early evening. With strong wind shear and modest instability in place, supercell storm modes emerged with initial activity. One of these thunderstorms impacted the northern/central/southeastern portions of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan area, producing reports of large to very large hail (and associated hail damage). Additional strong to severe storms continued to emerge along the southward advancing front into the late evening, yielding sporadic reports of hail and strong winds.