Tornado outbreaks are becoming even more extreme, but less frequent

Outbreaks of tornadoes — where multiple tornadoes form over an area in just a few hours or days — are responsible for most of the devastating destruction caused by severe weather, and a new analysis has reached a worrying conclusion about the worst of these outbreaks. Outbreaks with many tornadoes are becoming more extreme, particularly…

“Sand Mountain Magic:” Why does Sand Mountain have so many tornadoes?

VORTEX Southeast finished the Spring 2016 tornado season with very few samples of tornado-producing storms in Alabama and Tennessee, but the research team from UAH is already planning for VORTEX-SE 2017 when they will focus on tornado development along the plateau. In local meteorological and research circles, it’s often referred to as “Sand Mountain Magic:”…

NASA Researchers Improve Hazardous Weather Forecasts

Forecasts play key roles in many people’s lives, from planning picnics at the park, to cancelling flights and avoiding weather-related tragedies. Because weather can be a life-or-death matter, researchers work hard to develop new technology and ways to provide earlier and more accurate forecasts. Scientists and engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia,…