There are aspects of both that are not fully understood.
For formation:
First, a condition called wind shear, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes with altitude. If the shear is strong enough it can essentially tilt a thunderstorm, this separates the updraft and downdraft of the thunderstorm, preventing them from interfering with one another. This allows the storm to become stronger and last longer.
Additionally, if the wind shear is strong enough it can start the air rolling in what is called horizontal vorticity. This horizontal vorticity can then be turned vertical by a thunderstorm's updraft. When this happens, the thunderstorm may start rotating. The rotation is especially strong in an updraft called a mesocyclone. If the storm intensifies rapidly enough, a relatively warm downdraft called a rear-flank downdraft or RFD can wrap around the bottom part of the mesocyclone. This can then tighten and intensify its rotation and bring it down to the ground to produce a tornado.
For how tornadoes end, it is thought that cold air coming out of a thunderstorm (called outflow) undercuts the mesocyclone, the rotating updraft that drives the tornado. This chokes off the supply of warm air that the updraft feeds the updraft.
There is no official beginning or end to tornado season, but it is generally considered to end in June. However, tornadoes are not limited to tornado season, it's just a time of higher tornado activity. Strong tornadoes can and have happened at all times of the year.
The Kissimmee, Florida tornado started about 5 miles southwest of Kissimmee or about 15 miles south of Orlando and moved northeast through Kissimmee. It dissipated about 20 miles east of the eastern edge of Orlando.
It is difficult to define the start of Tornado Alley as it is a region, not an event. The steps toward its formation took millions of years as North America took on its modern geography with the formation of the Rockies and the Great Plains. The final piece likely came into play at the end of the last ice age when the climate across North America became warm enough to support significant tornado activity.
A tornado is a violent swirling funnel that usually happens in very intense thunderstorms. They form when thunderstorms start rotating due to interactions with wind shear. This rotation then tightens and intensifies to form a tornado.
It started at around 1:01 pm on March 18, 1925 near Ellington, Missouri and dissipated at 4:30 pm near Petersburg , Indiana.
No. A plane cannot start a tornado.
The Tuscaloosa tornado of 2011 started at 4:43 PM on April 27 and ended at 6:14 PM.
Unlike hurricane season there are not official limits to tornado season. However, generally tornado season lasts from lat march though June. However significant tornado outbreaks can occur at almost any time of year.
Yes. A tornado can start on a hill just as easily as it would on a plain.
Dallas Tornado ended in 1981.
No. A tornado only affects a relatively small area.
The average tornado travels at 35 mph.
The "fire tornado" forms from the fire; it doesn't really matter how the fire starts. Also, a "fire tornado" is more properly called a fire whirl as it technically isn't a tornado.
Humans cannot start tornadoes.
The first known use of the word "tornado" was in 1556.
There is no official beginning or end to tornado season, but it is generally considered to end in June. However, tornadoes are not limited to tornado season, it's just a time of higher tornado activity. Strong tornadoes can and have happened at all times of the year.
There is no official beginning or end to tornado season, but it is generally considered to end in June. However, tornadoes are not limited to tornado season, it's just a time of higher tornado activity. Strong tornadoes can and have happened at all times of the year.