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A diagram showing the contributing weather systems to Tornado Alley in the United States, a loosely-defined area that is prone to tornadoes. Tornadogenesis is the process by which a tornado forms. There are many types of tornadoes, varying in methods of formation.
The word tornado comes from the Spanish tronada (meaning 'thunderstorm', past participle of tronar 'to thunder', itself in turn from the Latin tonāre 'to thunder'). [16] [17] The metathesis of the r and o in the English spelling was influenced by the Spanish tornado (past participle of tornar 'to twist, turn,', from Latin tornō 'to turn'). [16]
Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.Tornadoes are “most common in the central plains east of the Rocky Mountains and west of the Appalachians.”
A clear slot can be observed to wrap around a tornado or form away from a tornado in the shape of a horseshoe. This clearing is most likely the formation of the hook echo region associated with tornado formation. [2] An RFD originating in dry air warming adiabatically can produce warmer observations out of the RFD at the surface.
Tornadoes can form any time the conditions are right. They take many shapes, but they all start the exact same way. Here's what to know.
Some of the most notorious twisters in U.S. history were wedge tornadoes, including the EF5 that leveled Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, and the El Reno tornado, which was a jaw-dropping 2.6 ...
For a tornado to form in this manner, a rear-flank downdraft enters the center of the mesocyclone from the back. Cold air, being denser than warm air, is able to penetrate the updraft. The combination of the updraft and downdraft completes the development of a tornado. Tornadoes that form in this method are often violent and can last over an ...
Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci explains how, when and where tornadoes form, and how climate change could be affecting these devastating weather events.