October 12, 2012
Severe weather threats including tornadoes are the big topic this weekend in the Midwest. Many businesses are readying their operations for snow and winter these days. However, this weekend, heavy rain, damaging winds and tornadoes could challenge many jurisdictions throughout the Heartland.
Why now?
Mistakenly, many people think there is a designated “severe weather season,” primarily because many of the most devastating tornadoes occur from March-June. Tornado watches and warnings, and tornadoes for that matter, have happened in every month of the year. Most recently, the St. Louis Metro had multiple tornadoes on December 31, 2010 including an EF-3 during a New Year’s Eve outbreak that included 24 tornadoes in Missouri.
Weather 101 tells us that weather is created by the atmosphere trying to balance itself. If the earth had its way, there would be consistent temperature, pressure, etc. The wind is the atmosphere’s fight to bring the earth to an equilibrium and that is why the bigger the differences, the bigger the storm. When the warm Fall temperatures are mixed with moisture and colder, drier air pushing down from the north a fight ensues in the form of wind. Add the right combination of instability and wind shear and you could be spotting tornadoes.
For Saturday, all of those ingredients should be in play for the Heartland. Please stay alert to emergency messages, or sign up for a free trial of A+ Weather Alerts. Weather or Not’s staff of meteorologists will be keeping our clients ahead of the storm 24/7.