Published: April 17, 2020
Preliminary Tornadoes By State From Jan 1 - April 16, 2020
This year is off to an active start with an above-average number of tornadoes and there also has been almost double the average number of severe wind reports.
In January there were 90 tornadoes, more than double the average of 42 tornadoes for the month. February and March were also a bit above average in terms of the number of tornadoes in the Lower 48.
Halfway through April, another active month appears likely. The April 12-13 outbreak resulted in over 125 tornadoes. The average number of tornadoes in April is 189, based on the 1999-2018 average.
Just over 400 preliminary tornadoes have been reported in the U.S from Jan. 1-April 15, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. The average from 2005-15 is 363, meaning that the U.S. conditions to trend above average for tornadoes in 2020.
U.S. Annual Trends of Reports of Tornadoes
Some of these tornadoes have been strong, including the EF4 tornado that was 2.25 miles when it tore through Bassfield and Soso, Mississippi, on Easter. Powerful tornadoes have killed more than four dozen people so far this year, likely making 2020 the deadliest in eight years.
Most tornadoes have been in the South, with Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia all experiencing more than 30 tornadoes to date. Alabama saw 24 tornadoes on Easter, which made it the fifth most tornadoes in any outbreak since 1950, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
This is not unusual since "Dixie Alley" is typically where tornadoes develop early in the year. Moisture is typically most abundant in the South during the winter and early spring and the position of the jet stream is favorable for southern storms.
Severe Wind Reports Above Average, Too
Severe wind reports have been almost double the average year-to-date. "Severe wind" is gusts of 58 mph or greater.
There have been more than 3,000 reports of severe thunderstorm winds from Jan. 1-April 15. (This data may change as it is preliminary). The average is 1,649, based on data from 2005-15.
A couple of peaks jump out on the graphic below. Jan. 11 was the most prolific severe weather day in the month of January since at least 2000. Damaging thunderstorms resulted in 525 wind reports.
A powerful system Feb. 5-7 caused damaging wind gusts and tornadoes across parts of the South and East.
The April 12-13 outbreak, another prominent spike, was responsible for more than 700 severe wind reports, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.
U.S. Wind ReportsThreat of Tornadoes Peaks in May
Peak tornado season runs from April through June in the United States. Ingredients for severe weather often come together at this time, and May is when peak tornado activity typically occurs.
The U.S. averaged 1,225 tornadoes annually from 1999 to 2018. Fifty-four percent of those tornadoes happened from April to June.
A shift in location of where the greatest threat of tornadoes occurs from the South in early spring to the Plains and Midwest in May and June.
April-June average the most number of tornadoes during the year.
One of the most active prolonged period of tornadoes occurred last spring from late April through May. Five-hundred and six tornadoes were confirmed in May 2019, making it the third busiest month on record, dating to 1950.
A busy start to the year does not mean that it will be an unusually active May or June.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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