BUSY SEVERE WEATHER & TORNADO SEASON

BUSY SEVERE WEATHER & TORNADO SEASON

It may seem like Spring is just a busy time, and it is, but this year has been well above average for Tornadoes, as well as Severe Wind and Severe Hail. So far, it is the 2nd most active year ever on record for tornadoes. As of one month ago, in mid-May, the count was around 850 tornadoes for 2024 so far. The count is now an amazingly high 1,228, with 63 of them being possibly EF2+ in strength. These are preliminary counts, but the numbers are still very high. We are already well above our yearly average, and it’s still June. Although activity does tend to slow down into mid to late summer as the Jet Stream often retreats into Canada and the winds aloft tend to weaken, we still could easily see another 100-150 tornadoes this season.

Nebraska and Iowa have had particularly heavy numbers so far this year. One thing very interesting to note is that the area of the Deep South, known as Dixie Alley has had a relatively low volume tornado year for this Spring. Areas of Mississippi and Alabama that normally have some very serious outbreaks– did not see nearly as many tornadoes this Spring. 

Hail reports have also been rather numerous, with nearly 4,000 severe hail reports in 2024. This is also above average, and will surely impact the insurance industry as a whole.

 

In addition to hail, severe wind is another severe weather factor, with over 8,000 reports of severe wind this year so far. The legend shows over 6,000 wind damage reports. Over 223 of the reports had winds greater than 75mph, which is the same as a Category 1 Hurricane. Maps from SPC. 

Stating the obvious, this has been a very busy season so far. What are some of the reasons? One of the likely culprits is that we are coming out of a very powerful El Niño and phasing into La Niña again. For now, we have been relatively ENSO Neutral as we transition, which has likely contributed to the Jet Stream remaining active over the Central Plains. This time last year, the Jet Stream had already retreated into Southern Canada on a few occasions, which really, slowed down storm season a fair bit. Areas that were baking in heat already last year have hardly reached the 90s so far this season. Coming out of one of the warmest winters on record, particularly for the Midwest, this is quite the feat, and certainly a bit odd. 

What will the rest of summer bring? It stands to remain a bit active, as even in a La Niña pattern, we typically have a stormier pattern to contend with. Things are now just starting to get active for the Upper Midwest, as this is their peak storm season, so we could surely add more tornado, wind and hail reports to these maps. Additionally, there is always the 2nd wave of severe weather that we usually have as we approach fall, briefly in the Midwest, and then more pronounced activity in the Central Plains and the Southern Plains in the fall months as well

We hope that everyone continues to stay safe, pays attention to warnings–takes all threats seriously. Some storms are very hard to escape, but it should be on everyone’s mind to be prepared when severe weather strikes. Don’t simply rely on outdoor sirens. Have a weather radio and weather apps, and be sure to stay tuned into local warning sources. Weather Radios can be one of the best and most inexpensive ways to protect your life and basic safety by at least staying prepared when a storm moves in, as they will wake anyone up.

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Thanks for checking in!

Meteorologist Bo Cole