OKLAHOMA CITY –
Thursday was Oklahoma’s first dance with tornadoes in 2026, and this year’s severe weather started off strong!
Thursday came close to matching the highest number of tornadoes ever recorded in January here in Oklahoma, with preliminary reports suggesting four separate tornadoes across the state. This number will more than likely change as additional damaget surveys are conducted.
While tornadoes in January are rare, we can see them all 12 months of the year. The record for tornadoes in January came in 2023, when the Sooner State experienced five tornadoes throughout the entire month.
Preliminary ratings for Thursday’s severe storms list three EF1s, with one in Purcell and two near Shawnee, and a single EF0 tornado near Lake Thunderbird.