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In the spring and early summer the lower atmosphere is warm while the upper atmosphere remains colder from winter. The creates instability that can promote the formation of thunderstorms. Additionally, large scale storm systems often occur that can trigger these storms. At other times of year temperatures are usually too cold or the large scale systems are too weak. Additionally, upper level winds are strongest in the winter, and this continues somewhat into spring. This results in the strong wind shear that gives thunderstorms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes, especially violent ones.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoCollisions of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cool air from Canada, and dry air from the Rockies causes thunderstorms to form. A layer of stable air called a cap at first blocks storm development, allowing instability to build under it until the storms break through and grow explosively, becoming very powerful. Differences in wind speed and direction at different heights then sets these storms rotating. This rotation can then produce tornadoes.
Similar setups can happen in other places and at other times of year, but not so regularly as they do on the Great Plains in the spring. In the winter it is usually too cold and so there is not enough energy, in the mid to late summer it is usually to warm and too dry and wind shear is weaker.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIn the spring the upper atmosphere remains cold while the lower atmosphere heats up, the tends to destabilize the atmosphere, creating potential for thunderstorms. On the Great Plains this is enhanced as low pressure systems bring warm, moist air up from the Gulf of Mexico. Here the system can then plow cooler, drier air into it, which triggers the thunderstorms.
During the spring upper level winds are strong, this creates wind shear which can set thunderstorms rotating. This rotation within a thunderstorm can eventually develop into a tornado.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoIn the spring, Tornado Alley often sees low pressure systems, which bring with them collisions of air masses. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cooler air from Canada, dry air from the Rockies, or a combination of the two. This collision produces thunderstorms. Meanwhile, upper-level winds are still strong from the winter months. This creates wind shear, or differences in wind speed and direction with altitude. The right setup of wind shear can set thunderstorm rotating, turning them into supercells. It is the rotation in these storms that produces the tornadoes the region is known for.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoTornadoes have been reported in all parts of North America, and in every continent of the world except Antarctica. The central part of the U.S. between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains has the highest tornado rate in the world because of its specific geography and weather patterns that bring cooler northern air into violent contact with warmer, moist southern air. See the link below for further information.
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How many tornadoes form in the Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley experiences and estimated 800 tornadoes each year.
How many tornadoes hit in tornado alley each day?
The area gets 700-800 tornadoes each year, which averages to about 2 tornadoes each day. However, tornadoes do not hit Tornado Alley daily, but often occur in outbreaks. Also, tornado activity is much higher in spring and early summer than other times of year.
Would tornado alley destroy a lot of homes?
Tornado Alley itself is not destructive, but the tornadoes that frequent it can be. The tornadoes in Tornado Alley destroy many homes each year.
How many tornadoes hit tornado alley every year?
Most likely about 700 tornadoes affect tornado alley each year.
Is there ever a tornado in Montana?
Yes. Montana is not in Tornado Alley, but it usually gets a few tornadoes each year.
How many tornadoes touch down in America each year?
Just to point out: a tornado is only a tornado if it touches the ground, if not it's a funnel cloud. There are about 1200 tornadoes each year in the USA on average, though it varies from year to year. Most of them occur in Tornado Alley (Oklahoma,Texas...)
Where are tornadoes most common in a country?
The most common tornadoes are in the USAThe area of the US called "tornado alley" seems to get the most tornadoes. This area includes parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, and Wyoming all are or have some part of themselves in Tornado AlleyTornadoes are most common in the United States, particularly on the central plains.
Tornadoes occur in what regions?
Tornadoes can occur almost anywhere that gets thunderstorms, but they are most common on the central plains of the United States in a region known as Tornado Alley. The highest tornado activity can be found in central Oklahoma.
What is the amount of tornadoes that have happened since the start of tornado alley?
It is not known. Tornado Alley has existed since long before there was anyone there who could document the data. Tornado records prior to the 1980s are not very reliable and get worse the further back you look. Even today we probably miss many of the smaller tornadoes that go though sparsely populated areas. The climates setup that makes what we call Tornado Alley probably took shape after the end of the last Ice Age about 11,000 years ago. Tornado Alley as we know it experiences an average of about 500 officially documented tornadoes each year. This gives us a result of several million tornadoes. To pin a more exact number based on this would not work, though, as the climate has fluctuated during this time period, which would have affected the number of tornadoes.
What state is part of tornado valley?
The true Tornado Alley covers portions of the states of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, and Missouri. Another major tornado-forming region in the U.S. is Dixie Alley, which covers parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and southern Tennessee. Florida also experiences high tornado activity, but unlike Tornado Alley and Dixie Alley is relatively lacking in strong tornadoes.
Last tornado to hit Florida?
The last known tornadoes to hit Florida occurred during the landfall of tropical storm Fay. Fay was quite powerful for a tropical storm. Damaging winds, torrential rain and incredible flooding were other effects of the storm. Though it has now calmed to an extra-tropical depression, the damage is quite excessive.
Where does tornadoes occur mostly and why?
Tornadoes most often occur in the central and southern USA. (tornado alley) Why they occur is because: they get warm moist air from the gulf of Mexico that collides with cold dry air from Canada, and they get contained in this area by the mountain ranges that are on either side, when the air collides they swirl around each other causing a tornado.
