t0rNado

1. 1.A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour.
2. 2.Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long.
3. 3.Simply said, tornados may form when a warm front meets a cold front forming a thunderstorm which can spawn one or more twisters.
4. 4.Rotating thunderstorms called mesocyclones (or supercells) are the best predictors of tornado activity. Mesocyclones are well defined thunderstorms on radar that may include hail, severe winds, lightning and flash floods.
5. 5.Most twisters or cyclones travel from southwest to northeast, and can move in the opposite direction for short periods and may even backtrack if hit by winds from the thunderstorm's core.
6. 6.Funnel clouds usually last less than 10 minutes before dissipating with many only lasting several seconds. On rare occasions, cyclones can last for over an hour as many were reported to have done in the early 1900's.
7. 7.They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
8. 8.Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
9. 9.Twisters strike predominantly along Tornado Alley – a flat stretch of land from west Texas to North Dakota. The region is ideal for tornadoes, as dry polar air from Canada meets warm moist tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico.
10. 10.Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.
11. 11.In the southern states, peak tornado occurrence is in March through May, while peak months in the northern states are during the summer.