Tornado alley is expanding — and scientists don’t know why
by Saul Elbein - 04/16/23 6:00 AM ET
Tornadoes are becoming more frequent in populated parts of the United States and are often occurring as damaging clusters — a development seen in recent deadly outbreaks from Alabama to Michigan.
The number, damage and deadliness of individual tornadoes has held roughly steady over the past 50 years, federal experts with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration told The Hill.
But broad shifts in the patterns of how tornadoes occur will pose serious challenges to policymakers and emergency managers across the South and Midwest — even as risks remain in the traditional heart of Tornado Alley.
The role to which climate change is a factor in these shifts is unknown, and the changes in tornado behavior overall represent a major meteorological mystery.
Warm winter means a powerful start to storm season — but not much else
The first quarter of 2023 represented a powerful start to the year’s tornado season, with each month offering a number of tornadoes substantially above the historical average, according to federal data.
“This past winter and our early spring has been as active as I can remember in years,” said William Bunting of the national Storm Prediction Center. “The number of events, many of the same areas being affected has been remarkable.”
This January had more than three times as many tornadoes as the historical average; February had half again as many, and March had twice as many.
Many of these storms have been both dramatically large and deadly. Tornadoes also have strayed far outside their usual domain — including touchdowns in Delaware and the suburbs of Los Angeles.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3949135-tornado-alley-expanding-scientists-dont-know-why/