The second week of April began with much anticipation as a strong upper-level trough pushed out into the Plains. Early production from this system was mainly in the form of a few pretty supercells, but the initial widely-expected “big day,” at least as far as widespread potential goes, failed to pan out on April 9.
Climatology still favors the places east of much of the Plains in April, and as the storm system traveled further that direction, the tornado activity picked up.
While the system that created the tornadoes was one for the books on the wintry end, it was comparatively benign by April standards when it comes to severe weather.
However, a deadly EF3 with a track length of 68.4 miles that traveled from Mississippi to Alabama garnered lots of attention on Thursday. A sprinkling of other tornadoes occurred as well, including in and around St Louis, Mo.
If the Storify embed below does not load, try the direct link.
In a field historically dominated by men, Jen Walton has emerged as a transformative figure…
Jason Persoff, MD, SFHM, is recognized globally for his expertise in storm chasing. He earned…
Tornado numbers were near or above average. A chase season peak in June provided numerous…
One of the more widespread tornado outbreaks in years, from Iowa and Illinois to Arkansas.
The active start of the year could be a sign, but a mid-March pattern change…
A near average year for tornadoes across the country, with a cool season bend. We've…