WEATHER
What is ‘Tornado Alley’ and which states are in it?
The term ‘tornado alley’ always comes into the conversation surrounding summer storms in the US. Where is it?
The National Weather Service is warning residents of several states, to take the necessary precautions as the risk of a major storm increases in the region.
Tornadoes can occur any month of the year in the United States, mainly in the entities located in the plains. In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA) counted 1,197 tornados, up from the 1143 recorded in 2022. Each year, the majority of the tornados that occur in the US are concentrated in “Tornado Alley.”
What is a tornado?
As defined by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a tornado is:
“A tornado is a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. Because wind is invisible, it is hard to see a tornado unless it forms a condensation funnel made up of water droplets, dust and debris. Tornadoes can be among the most violent phenomena of all atmospheric storms we experience.”
Which states make up ‘tornado alley’ and what is it?
The term ‘Tornado Alley’ was coined by United States Air Force meteorologists Captain Robert C. Miller and Major Ernest J. Fawbush, in a 1952 paper studying the patterns of severe weather in the midwestern states.
‘Tornado Alley’ traditionally refers to the corridor-shaped region in the Midwestern United States where tornadoes typically occur. The term is also used regularly by the media to describe the region, which includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Ohio. However, as more activity occurs in the belt between Louisiana and Illinois, it may grow to incorporate states.
The concept of a ‘Tornado Alley,’ as defined by the NSSL, can be misleading. The tornado threat in the United States shifts from the Southeast during the colder months to the Central and Southern Plains in May and June, and then to the Northern Plains and Midwest in early summer. Tornadoes are known to occur and have been reported in all fifty states.
What US state has the most tornadoes per year?
The two states with the most tornado activity are Texas and Kansas, with an average of 155 and 96 tornadoes per year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Later, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado followed, states that usually have between 51 and 66 tornadoes a year.