Why don't hurricanes occur in the same months as tornadoes?

Answer 1

Tornadoes occur in all months, though it is true that the peaks of hurricane and tornado activity don't line up. Tornado acitivity usually peaks in the spring. At this time in the middle latitudes in North America, where most violent tornadoes occur, there are clashes a cool arctic air with warm tropical air that can give rise to strong thunderstorms. At the same time, strong upper level winds create wind shear that gives these storms the rotation they need to produce tornadoes.

Hurricanes, by contrast, are tropical systems not powered by such clashes. They are fueled by moisture that evaporates from warm ocean water. Because the oceans take a long time to heat up and cool down, they are usually warmest in the late summer, making this the most favorable time for hurricanes. Additionally, summer is when upper level winds, and thus wind shear, are at their weakest. Wind shear often disrupts hurricanes. There is one final third factor. The disturbances that become hurricanes often originate from something called the intertropical convergence zone, a band of low pressure and storms often found near the equator. As the northern hemisphere heats up, it shifts north of the equator, to the point where storm clusters can develop a circulation that can turn them into hurricanes.