Tornado season

[wall_cloud]

don't think so Ed. That's another transition period as we start getting more (and stronger) baroclinic systems moving across the country. These systems are often springlike, just not as potent.

[wxmann_91]

IIRC, along the Gulf Coast and Florida, it never really ends, and the area of maximimum frequency slowly shifts Northwards as Spring progresses. I believe I read April tends to have the deadliest tornadoes, May the most frequent, and tornado season slows greatly during the summer months as the usual jet location has generally left the country.


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I wonder if that little secondary spike in September is related to TC landfalls...

It is. Sept 2004 was the most active Sept on record for tornadoes, due to the combined effects of Hurricanes Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.

don't think so Ed. That's another transition period as we start getting more (and stronger) baroclinic systems moving across the country. These systems are often springlike, just not as potent.

The secondary tornado spike occurs in November. On average, September is the least active month.

[wall_cloud]

I stand corrected.

thanks for the info.

[HurricaneBill]

The secondary tornado spike occurs in November. On average, September is the least active month.

This is true. Howevere, non-TC related outbreaks have occurred occasionally in September. For example, there was an outbreak in September 2006.

[CrazyC83]

Today proved there is no tornado season...

[Pedro Fernández]

I'm not sure if I can ask this question here...

Have you ever traveled with a professional storm-chasers group like TempestTours? In this case, I would like to know your views.

Thanks all

[F. Prefect]

If you live in the lower 48 it really never ends, but both your latitude and longitude are important factors as to when your "peak season" will occur and also the number of tornadoes that typically occur during this time period.

Typically the "season" will begin in the Gulf Coast states in late Winter/early Spring and will work northward with the average maximum in states along the Canadian border being in early Summer. Areas in the central US from Texas northward through OK, KS, and states northward to the Canandian border will be the area that will numerically see the most tornadoes in any given "season".

Personally, I believe we are seeing more "out of season" tornadoes than we did 25 years ago. At least I was well convinced of that "fact" during the PM hours of Jan 7 extending into the AM hours of Jan 8. I've watched a good many thunderstoms develope on radar, but have never seen any that developed to the tornadic stage any faster than did the storms during that time period.

Whether these winter thunderstorms are an indication of some type of Global warming I have no idea, but they do seem to be much more common now than a quarter certury ago.

F. Prefect

[Bunkertor]

Another WI January 7, 2008 storm survey

http://www.radarheinrich.de/wbblite/thread.php?postid=10396#post10396