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Winds toss SUVs as if they were matchbox cars. Trees and limbs become deadly projectiles hurtling toward homes. Families huddle in basements, storm shelters and interior bathrooms.
Those are just a few of the scenes played out every year when tornado season hits. It's a weather myth that tornadoes are solely features of spring or summer. Tornadoes can happen during winter as well.
All you have to do is look at January 2012. On January 9, tornadoes hit the Houston metro area. Only two days later, western North Carolina was hit by three tornadoes, injuring around 18 people. This past Tuesday, we saw around a dozen twisters strike portions of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Mississippi. [weather.com]
"April through July is the most active period for tornadoes with May being the most active month," says Tornado Expert Dr. Greg Forbes. "However, tornado outbreaks can happen in any month of the year when instability and wind conditions become favorable."
That means the cold winter months of January and February can be favorable for twisters. Tornado Fast Facts (10-year average, 2001-2010) -
January: Averages 22 tornadoes (21 so far in 2012)
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February: Averages 32 tornadoes -
March: Averages 83 tornadoes -
May: Averages 298 tornadoes
Tornadoes Do Occur in WinterYou don't have to dig too far into history to find a major winter tornado event. In 2008, there was a massive outbreak of 86 tornadoes. A storm system swept across 10 states to create the largest February tornado outbreak on record!
One tornado ripped a 122-mile path across Izard County, Ark., creating the longest tornado path on record in the state. It demolished homes and threw a Jeep into a tree. To this day, there are still two vehicles missing. They were swept away by the tornado and never found again.
On Feb. 10, 2009, an EF-4 tornado hit Lone Grove, Okla., causing 8 deaths. Its path was half a mile wide and more than 40 miles long. It was classified the deadliest and strongest February tornado on record in Oklahoma.
Tornado Expert Dr. Greg Forbes says you should be prepared for severe weather any time of the year, but don't read too much into this winter tornado threat. "It doesn't necessarily mean an active spring," says Dr. Forbes. "But we are in a La Nina pattern, and there is an increased chance of an active January to April tornado period during La Nina. It doesn't always work out that way, though." |
