NORTH CAROLINA -- April 19 brought an outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes across North Carolina, where a total of 13 tornadoes were confirmed statewide.
- This only adds to the growing list of over 200 tornadoes that have been confirmed in the United States so far for the year of 2019
- Climate Central conducted a study on the subject and did, indeed, find that there has been a subtle, yet detectable, increase in the tornado risk over the past few decades
- While warming temperatures provide part of the ingredients for thunderstorm development, we also need "shear", which is just a term used to describe winds
This only adds to the growing list of over 200 tornadoes that have been confirmed in the United States so far for the year of 2019. That's a seemingly high number, so one may beg to ask "are tornadoes becoming more common?"
Climate Central conducted a study on the subject and did, indeed, find that there has been a subtle, yet detectable, increase in the tornado risk over the past few decades.
They also concluded that the number of tornadoes in a large outbreak (defined as "six or more tornadoes") has been increasing after one study showed that the number of days with over 30 tornadoes has gone up. In Tornado Alley, they discovered that, on average, tornadoes are also starting about a weak earlier in the year than normal.
Does this have to do with our warming climate? Perhaps. While warming temperatures provide part of the ingredients for thunderstorm development, we also need "shear", which is just a term used to describe winds. We also need not only moist air, but dry air interacting with the moist air. This may be provided by the trending eastward shift in the drier western climate of the United States.
