Opinions on Oklahoma’s weather are often more variable than the weather itself. Some Oklahomans will look back on April 2022 and remember the seven confirmed tornadoes that touched down, although that is still below the long-term average of 11.7 for the month. Many others will remember drought that saw both intensification in the northwest and improvement across the southeast. There is one aspect of this April’s weather that would unite most Oklahomans, however—the wind.

March’s weather ran the gamut of nearly all the hazards Oklahoma has to offer, befitting a seasonal transition month in the Southern Plains. Winter got the first crack with a blast of arctic air during the month’s second week. Temperatures plummeted and a storm system blanketed the northern half of the state with 2-3 inches of snow. The frozen weather resulted in numerous traffic accidents and closed many businesses and schools. Spring took its turn with at least three tornadoes rumbling out of Texas across Love, Marshall, and Johnston counties on March 21.

Three impactful winter storms struck Oklahoma during February, snarling traffic on state highways, bringing down power lines, and forcing widespread closures of businesses and schools. The first storm struck Feb. 1-3 and dumped 4-6 inches of snow over a significant portion of the state. Larger totals were scattered about, with nearly a foot of snow reported in both Hooker and Seminole. That same system covered parts of southeastern Oklahoma with up to a half-inch of freezing rain, damaging trees and power infrastructure in the area.