Eastern Oklahoma
A few cities include: Ada, Hugo and Tulsa.
Local tornado season: Peaks between mid-April and late May.
Terrain: A variety of hills, prairies, forests and lakes.
Road network: Favorable in spots, sparse in others.
Radar coverage: Poor in southeastern Oklahoma, good elsewhere.
Eastern Oklahoma is a frequent target for tornadoes, including some significant, long-tracking events. Supercell thunderstorms are common across eastern Oklahoma with large to very large hail and tornadoes as the main hazards. It is commonplace that a storm system will eject across the Plains with supercells merging into an intense squall line by the time storms reach eastern Oklahoma, increasing the damaging wind threat.
Terrain
Eastern Oklahoma’s terrain is complicated. In general, central Oklahoma features rolling plains with spotty areas of trees. Forest density tends to increase with eastward extent. Southeastern Oklahoma features the worst chase terrain in the entire state, with hills, lakes and thick forests. The area shares more characteristics with the Ozarks than the Plains. Northeastern Oklahoma is somewhat flatter with fewer trees, although the terrain becomes rougher to the east of Tulsa. A few exceptions to the rule do exist, but as a whole, eastern Oklahoma tends to be more hilly and forested than anything.
Road networks
Road networks are also varied in eastern Oklahoma. Northeastern and central portions of Oklahoma have a reasonable road network, but it tends to get more limited as you approach the Arkansas border. There is a zone near and immediately north of the Red River in southeastern Oklahoma that has a decent road network, but as you go north and east of US-70, it starts to degrade. Areas north and east of OK-3 are almost impossible to chase, as the road network becomes sparser, at least until you get out of the dense forests.
The main interstates across eastern Oklahoma are I-40 and I-44. Storm chasing near I-40 is usually not too difficult, as road networks and terrain tend to cooperate. Areas near and northwest of I-44 are relatively flat with a favorable road network, so chasing there is not too difficult either.
Radar coverage
Along and north of I-40 in eastern Oklahoma, radar coverage is good, as KTLX, KINX and KSRX overlap the area. There is a notable radar hole in southeastern Oklahoma, with little to no reliable coverage. To add insult to injury, KFWS in North Texas is mostly out of range. Some storms moving into southern Oklahoma from North Texas may literally fly under the radar.
This radar hole near the Red River is considered one of the worst places for a lack of radar coverage in tornado alley. Not only does the area have cities and towns, but it is a common place for destructive tornadoes during storm season.
In summary, eastern Oklahoma is a mixed bag when it comes to road networks and terrain for storm chasing. While southeastern Oklahoma is one of the worst places to chase in Oklahoma, areas farther north and west tend to be manageable.