EF1 tornado in Cherokee County, Oklahoma

This tornado uprooted trees and snapped numerous large tree limbs. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 85 to 95 mph.

Thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma during the early evening of the 20th, along and just ahead of a cold front moving into the area. The atmosphere ahead of the front was very unstable. Wind fields across the region strengthened with the approach of a strong upper level storm system, and very strong deep layer shear developed over eastern Oklahoma by the evening. The combination of strong instability and very strong wind shear promoted the development of supercell thunderstorms, that produced hail up to baseball size and damaging wind. As the thunderstorms moved eastward during the late evening, they eventually organized into a solid line of thunderstorms. Low level wind shear increased across the region during the evening, and this supported the development of several tornadoes, in addition to the very strong downburst wind that some of the thunderstorms produced.