| Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of
eastward-moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms often produce large hail,
strong winds, and tornadoes. Tornadoes in the winter and early spring are
often associated with strong, front systems that form in the Central States
and move east.
Before thunderstorms develop, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with increasing height creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising air within the thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through lots of the storm. Intense tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation. A lower cloud base identifies an area of rotation . This area is often nearly rain-free. Moments later a powerful tornado develops in this area. Softball-size hail and damaging winds also occurred with this storm. Why do tornadoes spin? Think about your bathtub. It is the same concept. The updraft is blowing up, sucking air particles up. As the air particles go up they bump into each other. As the air particles start moving in the same direction it starts to rotate. Tornadoes are measured with something called the Fujita scale, pronounced foo-gee-ta . It is measured by how much damage done. It goes from F0 [zero] which is 40-70 MPH to F5 which is 270 MPH at the highest. There is a place called Tornado Alley in the Central Southern states. This area stretches form central Texas through most of Oklahoma and Kansas. It touches parts Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri. |
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| There are a lot of myths about tornadoes. Here are
some facts
to set you straight : MYTH: Areas near rivers, lakes, and mountains are
safe from tornadoes.
MYTH: The low pressure with a tornado causes buildings
to "explode" as the tornado passes overhead.
MYTH: Windows should be opened before a tornado
approaches to equalize pressure and minimize damage.
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| I learned is that tornadoes can form anywhere. One example is the tornado in Salt Lake City. It just seemed happened out of nowhere. | ||
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