Weather Whys; January Tornadoes

This is weather-wise. Tornados are most common in the spring time between the months of March and May, but that doesn't mean they're unheard of in January. The severe storms that produce tornadoes often develop ahead of a powerful low pressure system, which comes about as a result of the clashing of cold, dry air with warm, moist air. While such conditions aren't as likely in January as they are in April, it's possible an early season push of tropical air might make its way into more northern latitudes and kick off a round of severe storms. For instance, Utah had its first documented January tornado on the 10th day of 1989. The storm caused structural damage in the town of Sandy, but no injuries were reported. Tornados are relatively rare in the Beehive state, with only an average of one or two occurring each year. California tornadoes are fairly rare as well, but on January 11, 1951, a tornado swept through well-populated portions of Santa Clara County at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula.

That storm was one of the most destructive in the state's history, with damages totaling one and a half million dollars. While tornadoes are relatively common in Arkansas, they don't usually travel as far as the storm of January 2, 1898. It touched down near the town of Fort Smith and continued on the ground for more than 120 miles. That tornado was a large one and caused significant damage and loss of life. Weather-wise is produced with the assistance of the National Weather Service Forecast Office, the National Severe Storms Laboratory, both in Norman, Oklahoma, and the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, the Oklahoma Climateological Survey, and the School of Meteorology, all at the University of Oklahoma. Weather-wise is made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. But for weather-wise, I'm Drew Marlon.