April 2021 Tornadoes May Have Been Lowest In Any April This Century

 Chris Dolce

Published: May 2, 2021

April 2021 was one of the least tornadic Aprils in three decades, marking a complete reversal from an extremely active March and April last year.

The preliminary count of tornado reports across the U.S. in April was 73, according to statistics compiled by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). That's just over one-third of the month's 20-year average of 194 tornadoes.

Each red icon represents a preliminary tornado report in April 2021.

The SPC said this was the fewest number of preliminary reports of any April since at least 2000.

It will take some time to firm up actual tornado counts, but if that preliminary count holds true, it could be just the fourth April since 1990 with fewer than 100 tornadoes for the month.

The last time that happened was in April 2013, which had 86 tornadoes. April 1992 (53) and 1993 (85) are the only other years in the last three decades to have fewer than 100 twisters.

April 2021 was the polar opposite of last April, which had a preliminary count of 271 tornadoes. That made it the second most tornadic April on record, but still well behind the record set in April 2011.

The SPC also found April's total severe weather reports - including reports of large hail, damaging thunderstorm winds, and tornadoes - was only half of average.

And the number of tornado watches issued in April (17) was the fourth fewest of any April since 1970.

The reason for the relative dearth of severe weather in April was simple.

Surges of cooler than average temperatures dominated parts of the central and southern U.S. for a better part of the month. That limited the availability of significant Gulf of Mexico moisture to the east of the Rockies, which is one of the key ingredients for the formation of severe thunderstorms.

Temperature departures from average (in degrees Celsius) in April 2021. Much of the Plains states were cooler than average.

Despite this, a trifecta of major hailstorms on April 28 in Oklahoma and Texas likely inflicted over $1 billion damage combined.

Of course, this has no bearing on what will happen through the rest of spring.

May has historically been the most active tornado month in the U.S. That's because the geographical area most favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms grows larger in size as warmer temperatures become more expansive.

(MORE: Most Dangerous Time of Year For Tornadoes)

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.