March 2022 Tornadoes Signal Dangerous Shift in Early Spring Activity
Following the severe weather outbreak from the past few weeks, the month of March 2022 has seen more tornadoes in the US than any other year on record, reflecting an upward trend towards more severe weather earlier in the year. This is raising questions among scientists, who have historically seen the peak weather season from April to early June.
As reported by the CNN, the current climate crisis, which is changing the typical atmospheric patterns of moisture and instability, is the reason behind the timing and location of severe weather. With the current trend, severe weather season could start as early as February, more severe in March. There could also be more eastward increase.
Increasing Shift in Severe Weather
As per the Storm Prediction Center, at least 250 tornadoes have been reported until March 2022 – the highest since records began in 1950. Typically, there are about 80 reports of tornadoes in March. In 2021, there were reports of 191 tornadoes across the country in March. In 2017, another extraordinary severe weather season, the country recorded around 187 reports of tornadoes.
One of the major factors that is contributing to the earlier strike of severe weather is that the Pacific Ocean is currently in a strong La Nina.
As a consequence of La Nina, the active jet stream along the southern tier of the US has resulted in an ideal environment in the mid-South and Southeast for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. This could mean that extreme weather events like the historic December quad-state tornado outbreak, could become more frequent.
So far, this month has seen four major tornado events that left a trail of destruction across the country, causing massive damage to property, houses and infrastructure. These include the Iowa tornadoes and the severe weather outbreak that resulted in tornadoes in Texas, Arkansas and New Orleans.
Click the images below to learn more about the severe weather outbreak in March 2022, and to find actionable analytics in EigenPrism:
Tornadoes in US South – March 30, 2022
New Orleans Tornadoes – March 23, 2022
Texas Tornadoes – March 22, 2022
Iowa Tornadoes – March 5, 2022
