Tornadoes

Tornado Basics

• A tornado is a rotating column of air that descends from a thunderstorm to the ground, causing damage.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur in areas known as "Tornado Alley" in the central United States.

Supercells

• A supercell is a type of thunderstorm that is characterized by a rotating, towering column of air known as a mesocyclone.
• The term "tornado" translates to "tornillo" in Spanish.

Tornado Frequency and Timing

• The United States experiences an average of 1,200 instances of tornadoes each year.
• The majority of tornadoes are likely to form during the spring and summer months.

Tornado Formation and Detection

• The primary factor that leads to the formation of a tornado is the presence of warm, moist air near the surface and cooler air above.
• An updraft plays a crucial role in the formation of a tornado, as it allows warm air to rise and cool air to sink, creating rotation.
• Meteorologists use Doppler radar technology to look for hook echoes indicative of a supercell, providing warnings of an approaching tornado.

Tornado Classification and Stormchasers

• Tornadoes are categorized by meteorologists based on their wind speed, ranging from EF0 (light damage) to EF5 (incredible damage).
• The primary purpose of stormchasers is to gather data and footage of tornadoes, which helps improve tornado forecasting and warning systems.

Tornado Scales and Damage Evaluation

• The primary difference between the Fujita-Pearson (FPP) scale and the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale is that the EF scale takes into account more variables, such as wind speed and area affected.
• The National Weather Service is responsible for evaluating tornado damage and assigning a rating based on the EF scale.
• A tornado's path length has a significant impact on its level of destruction, as longer paths tend to cause more widespread damage.

Test your knowledge of tornadoes with this quiz! Learn about the formation, characteristics, and impacts of these powerful and destructive weather phenomena.