0
Much of the central U.S. is in Tornado Alley, a region of the United States that has the highest amount of tornado activity in the world. The region is the site of frequent collisions of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, cool air from Canada, and dry air from the Rockies. These collisions result in very strong thunderstorms, with the moist air acting as their "fuel." Additionally, the region often has a layer of stable air called a cap that suppresses storms. This behaves like the lid on a pressure cooker, allowing the atmosphere below it to become increasingly unstable until storms develop explosively. Finally, the region often sees strong vertical wind shear, or a variation of wind speed and direction with altitude. This tilts them in such a way that the updraft and downdraft portions becomes separated and don't interfere with one another, letting the already strong storm further strengthen and last longer. The wind shear also sets the storms rotating, turning them into supercells, the most powerful thunderstorms on earth. It is the rotation within these supercells that can develop into a tornado.
Other parts of the world do see such conditions and thunderstorms at least occasionally, but not with the same frequency as in Tornado Alley.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoMuch of the central U.S. is in a region known as Tornado Alley. This region stretches across the plains in the middle part of the country. Here, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cool air from Canada and sometimes warm air from the Rockies. This can produce very powerful thunderstorms. Shifts in wind speed and direction with altitude, called wind shear, set these storms rotating, turning them into supercells, the primary producers of tornadoes, especially strong tornadoes. Related effects in adjacent regions lead to a high rate of tornado occurrence in most of the region between the Appalachians and the Rockies. Such a large region that is prone to tornadoes brings the average number of tornadoes in the U.S. to more than 1,200 per year. In addition to being more frequent, American tornadoes also tend to be the most violent, making them more likely to become major news items.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Which region in the US has the highest incidence of tornadoes?
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska have the highest incidence of tornadoes. They form the heart of "Tornado Alley."
Exactly how many tornadoes hit on the may 31st 1985 tornado outbreak?
41 Tornadoes in US and Canada including an F5 in Mercer County Pennsylvania and also multiple F3-F4 Wedge Tornadoes and one tornado in central part of the state that had a width up to 1.5-2.2 Miles Wide. It is possible that there were more F0 and F1 tornadoes that were missed in the survey.
Is the US only country in the world that has tornadoes?
No. Many countries have tornadoes. The U.S. just gets more than other places.
What percentage of the world's tornadoes occur in the US?
About 75% of recorded tornadoes strike the United States. This is misleading however, as many countries do not keep records of their tornadoes. The actual number of tornadoes outside the U.S. is not known.
How many tornadoes does US have in 3 years?
The United States averages about 1200 tornadoes per year, which would work out to about 3600 tornadoes in an average 3-year period.
Are tornadoes more likely in the central US or the the North East US?
Tornadoes are most common in the central U.S. and are rare in New England.
What is the area of central US that features many tornadoes is known as tornado?
The region of the U.S. most prone to tornadoes is called "Tornado Alley."
Why are tornadoes unlikly to form in the us?
Tornadoes are very likely to form in the United States and destroy property there frequently during the spring and summer months. One section of the central United States is even nicknamed Tornado Alley due to the high number of tornadoes that move through there.
How many tornados occurred in us each year?
Tornadoes occur in many areas around the world by no region experiences more tornadoes than the central United States. No one really knows for sure how many there are in the US each year, but it is estimated that over 1,000 tornadoes occur each year in the US, although many go undetected and unreported.
What part of the US can tornadoes form?
Tornadoes can form in just about any part of the United States and have been confirmed in every state, even Alaska. However, the greatest number of tornadoes form on the central plains of the U.S. in a region called Tornado Alley. This reagion stretches from Texas to South Dakota and into Iowa an parts of Colorado and Missouri.
Where are do tornadoes occur in the US?
The can occur almost anywhere but are most common on the central plains.
How many tornadoes in US in 2008?
There were 1692 tornadoes in the U.S. in 2008.
How many tornadoes were in the us?
In 2011 there were 1,626 tornadoes and 552 deaths.
When do tornadoes form in the US?
They can form at any time of year, but most often form in the spring and summer.
How many tornadoes occurred in 2006 in the US?
There were 1,103 tornadoes in the U.S. in 2006.
Where do most tornadoes form in they US and how many occur in a year?
Generally, the highest number of tornadoes in the U.S. occur on the Great Plains, so much so that the region is sometimes called Tornado Alley. The region experiences as many as 800 tornadoes per year.
How many tornadoes were recorded in the US in 1992?
There were 1297 recorded tornadoes in the U.S. in 1992.
