Tornadoes of 2015
 A graph of the 2015 United States tornado count through April 3 | |
| Timespan | January 3 - Currently active |
|---|---|
| Maximum rated tornado | EF2 tornado
|
| Tornadoes in U.S. | 54 |
| Damage (U.S.) | Unknown |
| Fatalities (U.S.) | 2 |
| Fatalities (worldwide) | 2 |
This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 2015. Strong and destructive tornadoes form most frequently in the United States, Bangladesh, and Eastern India, but they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. Tornadoes also develop occasionally in southern Canada during the Northern Hemisphere's summer and somewhat regularly at other times of the year across Europe, Asia, and Australia. Tornadic events are often accompanied with other forms of severe weather including strong thunderstorms, winds and hail.
There have been 80 tornadoes reported in the United States in 2015 according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), of which 54 have been confirmed. Two fatalities have been reported so far in 2015, occurring on March 25th in Sand Springs, Oklahoma and another on April 9th in Fairdale, Illinois.
Synopsis
Throughout much of 2015, tornado activity has been near record low mostly due to a continuous pattern of a trough in the east, which has brought colder than average temperatures there, and a ridge in the west, which has brought warmer than average temperatures in the west. The pattern changed, slightly, in late March and early April to allow for some severe weather. [1][2]
Events
United States yearly total
Unofficial totals through April 8
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 24 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
January
There were 32 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in January, of which at least 24 were confirmed.
January 3–4
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On January 1, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) began highlighting the potential for severe weather across portions of the central Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley.[3] The following day, the pre-existing Marginal risk was upgraded to a Slight risk across southeastern Louisiana, southeastern Mississippi, and southwestern Alabama.[4] On January 3, the combination of high dewpoints, marginal instability, and strong wind shear allowed for the development of supercells across central and southern Mississippi, where an Enhanced risk was briefly introduced.[5] An EF2 tornado touched down west of Rose Hill, Mississippi, causing significant damage, while several other tornadoes were recorded. Activity spread eastward on January 4, with a second EF2 tornado causing substantial damage north of Dozier, Alabama.
February
There were 2 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in February, both of which were confirmed.
March
There were 15 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in March, of which at least 7 were confirmed. March's tornado activity was near record low. March 2015 is now the longest stretch ever in March with no tornadoes reported (nationally). The previous record was March 1969 when the first tornado didn’t occur until March 23. The fewest tornadoes ever recorded in the month of March was in 1951 when only six occurred. [6]
March 24–25
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On March 24, a brief waterspout touched down in Arkansas over Bull Shoals Lake, moving on land to become a brief EF0 tornado but causing no damage.[7] The next day, March 25, an intermittent tornado moved through Southwest Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma; and damage surveys throughout the following days revealed the greatest damage as being low-end EF2. Nine people were injured and several vehicles flipped and overturned on Interstate 35. This tornado was particularly dangerous since it did not have a defined condensation funnel and was largely invisible outside of the damage it was causing on the ground.[8] Prior to this, an EF2 tornado demolished a mobile home park in the western part of Sand Springs, an Oklahoma suburb west of Tulsa. One person was killed in that tornado.[9]
April
There have been 38 tornadoes reported in the U.S. in April, of which at least 21 have been confirmed.
April 2–3
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On April 2, upper-level southwesterly flow overspread the Ozarks and Ohio River Valley, where an Enhanced risk for severe weather was introduced by the SPC. A surface low tracked into Ontario, supporting a cold front down into southern Missouri. Throughout the afternoon hours, a shortwave trough tracked across the Central Plains, providing ample lift for the development of severe thunderstorms.[10] Several weak tornadoes were recorded. On April 3, the Enhanced risk shifted southeast, encompassing portions of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.[11] An EF2 tornado developed north of Pomona, Missouri, causing substantial damage, and several other tornadoes were recorded.
April 8–9
A multi-day severe weather episode effected parts of the Great Plains and Midwestern United States. Several tornadoes were reported on April 8th in the south central part of Kansas, including some to the northwest of Wichita, Kansas, and two in the southeastern part of the state near Neodesha, Kansas and Cherryvale, Kansas. Several tornadoes were also reported from Texas to Illinois on April 9th. A multiple-vortex tornado occurred near Clinton, Iowa, and another tornado caused considerable damage near Longview, Texas. The most significant event of the outbreak was a violent, long-tracked wedge tornado that moved across several counties in northern Illinois and killed two people. The tornado caused major damage near the towns of Ashton and Rochelle, along with completely devastating the small town of Fairdale, where every structure sustained damage and many were entirely destroyed. Another significant tornado passed near Rockford and Cherry Valley, severely damaging the Summerfield Zoo near Belvidere, killing two animals at that location. The Storm Prediction Center received a total of 26 tornado reports from the 8th to the 9th as a result of this weather system.
See also
References
- ^ http://www.wjla.com/blogs/weather/2015/03/unprecedented-quiet-start-to-tornado-season-24824.html
- ^ http://www.tornadoplace.com/2015/03/2015-tornado-season/
- ^ Bunting, William F. (January 1, 2015). "Jan 1, 2015 0830 UTC Day 3 Severe Thunderstorm Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ Peters, Jeffrey L. (January 2, 2015). "Jan 2, 2015 0700 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ Cohen, Ariel E. (January 2, 2015). "Jan 3, 2015 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ http://fox17online.com/2015/03/25/march-2015-sees-lowest-tornado-count-nationally/
- ^ "Severe Storms/Heavy Rain on March 24-26, 2015". National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Little Rock, Arkansas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 28, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
- ^ Payne, David (March 25, 2015). "Moore, OK Tornado - March 25, 2015 KWTV 9". Moore, Oklahoma: KWTV-DT. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ Juozapavicius, Justin (March 25, 2015). "1 person killed, multiple injuries in Oklahoma as nation's tornado drought comes to an end". Tulsa, Oklahoma: Associated Press. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
- ^ Ryan Jewell; Aaron Gleason (April 2, 2015). "Apr 2, 2015 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
- ^ Ryan Jewell; Aaron Gleason (April 3, 2015). "Apr 3, 2015 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. Norman, Oklahoma: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 8, 2015.