I'm going on a road trip this upcoming summer from NJ to California. We will be stopping in many states that form Tornado Alley such as Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas. I'm just wondering when the best time of year is to see a tornado. I hear Oklahoma has more than any other state, and one of my goals on this trip is to see a tornado. Help me out if you can. Thanks a lot!

Matt

 

March - October we can have tornadoes. Usually march-July is the best time.

May is historically the most active month.

 

For one you do not want to see a tornado. They are not cool they kill people.. For two unless your hear for a few weeks you probably wont see one...



They are not like hurricanes that can be some what predicted. They drop out of the sky on a whim and turn directions in the same way.....

 

We had one visit Edmond in February 2009

 

I know but it isn't a common occurrence.

X2 on you don't want to see one. They are extremely violent and people die every year due to them. I myself was scared shitless when one was less than a mile from my home last year. I was in the may 3rd tornado and never want to see that ever again

 

I'm native Oklahoman and fortunately have never seen a tornado. You don't want to either.

 

I agree with the rest. A while back I went with some friends storm chasing through central Kansas. We actually got to see an F3 tornado form and touch the ground. It was just a few miles from Greensburg before it dissapeared. This was only like a year after the F5 that went through Greensburg.

I will honestly tell you I will never do something like that again. Plus my friends car we were in got hailed on bad and cracked a few windows.

 

Okay guys look, i never said tornadoes were cool but you cannot deny them being interesting. I'll be traveling through the Texas panhandle and Oklahoma anyway so I'm just asking for advice. Im not counting on seeing one but I would really like to. Its something Ive always wanted to do and that may very well change if/when I see one. Are any of you from the Oklahoma City area? I believe we'll be sleeping there one night. Im going to look up safety precautions before we take off...everyone keeps telling me to never use an overpass as shelter.

 

Never use an overpas, debris will prolly kill you. Safest scenario is to stay away really. But if you must, and have to, get out of your car, lie face down in the lowest lying area ( a ditch ) and cover your head with your hands.

 

Go watch the movie Twister and then don't do anything they do in that movie.