Another way to visualize how much severe weather you typically see each year is by examining the number of watches issued.
On average, U.S. counties in the South and Great Plains see the most severe thunderstorm and tornado watches issued annually, according to maps from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) branch of NOAA.
The first map below shows the number of tornado watches issued by county in the United States during the 20-year period 1993-2012. During that time, ten or more tornado watches were issued each year from parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and north Texas to portions of Alabama, west Georgia and the Florida panhandle.
Counties near the Gulf Coast typically see the most tornado watches each year. Washington County, Alabama, tops the list with 17 tornado watches annually.
The Gulf Coast states are in close proximity to the warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico that is needed to help in the formation of severe storms that could spawn tornadoes, even in the winter months. That is why we typically see the highest occurrence of tornado watches in this region each year.
Tornadoes are possible in the Gulf Coast region in the fall, winter and spring as frontal systems sweep through the country. During the summer and early fall, tropical storms and hurricanes that make landfall can also spin up tornadoes in this region.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, tornado watches are rare or even nonexistent in the West and parts of New England each year.
Counties That See the Most Severe Thunderstorm Watches
When it comes to the number of severe thunderstorm watches issued each year, parts of the Plains and Midwest lead the pack with 10 or more per year in many states, according to SPC. The East Coast also has many counties from southern New York to the Carolinas that see 10 or more severe thunderstorm watches each year.
Severe thunderstorm watches are typically issued when atmospheric conditions are more conducive to producing thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail rather than tornadoes. That said, tornadoes cannot be completely ruled out when this type of watch is in effect.
Portions of Kansas and Oklahoma have the highest concentration of severe thunderstorm watches each year.
Osage County, Oklahoma, leads the way with 23 severe thunderstorm watches annually. That county is under a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch about three dozen times each year when you add in their yearly average of about 13 tornado watches.
Also noteworthy on the map is that even parts of the West average one or more severe thunderstorm watches each year.
