Near-record low for tornadoes nationwide

Severe weather has been hard to come by for a large portion of the nation, as one of the quietest years for tornadoes continues.

Following what was a steady, yet still slow increase for tornadoes at the beginning of the year, many locations have seen a significant drop off in severe weather reports. Although that has been the case since the middle of the year, we could see a brief uptick in tornadoes as we transition into the fall season.

Here in Mid-Missouri our main severe weather season arrives from late spring into early summer, and then tapers off as we head into the heart of summer. However, as fall arrives Mid-Missouri sees a secondary uptick in severe weather.

The region has been fortunate this year, as on

ly one tornado occurred in Mid-Missouri in July. The National Weather Service rated the tornado an EF-0, as it caused some minor damage at the Lake of the Ozarks in Camden County.

Although that has been the case, that doesn’t mean the same trend will continue through the rest of the year.

Current tornado counts show that nationwide, we’ve only seen 848 tornadoes, thirty percent less than what we normally see through September 23. Not only has it been quiet across the nation this year, but for the past several years Mid-Missouri has been quite lucky. While that has been the case, one should never let their guard down, especially during the fall months as the secondary severe weather season kicks in.

Beginning in October and lasting until winter truly settles into the region, Mid-Missouri sees a brief rise in tornado threats. The reason behind this has a lot to do with the cooler air that filters in from the north creating an unstable environment.

As we continue to transition into fall, the upper-level jet stream will slowly begin to track south across the country. It’s during this time that cooler air begins to displace the warmer air. This usually creates a cold front at the surface, which mixes warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and increases our threat for severe weather.

So although tornadoes nationwide are flirting with record low numbers and at times have reported record low, remember it only takes one to make the severe weather season a bad one for those affected.

Stay with ABC 17 News as we continue to monitor the changing season and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.