It's Turning Out To Be A Bad Autumn For U.S. Tornadoes

An Amazon distribution center partly collapsed during a
tornado in Baltimore Friday evening.

At least 45 tornadoes struck different parts of the nation since Halloween, and a new outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather looks imminent in the South Monday into Tuesday.

Four people have died in the past week's tornadoes, including two at an Amazon distribution facility in Baltimore, Maryland when a wall collapsed during a Friday evening twister.

Overall, there have been a little over 1,000 tornadoes this year in the United States, which is still at somewhat slower than normal pace.

Most tornadoes occur in the spring and early summer, but there is often a smaller, but real uptick in twisters during October and November. This year is one of those times.

Low pressure systems are usually stronger this time of year than they were back in July through September. These stronger storms can generate the right conditions for tornadoes, despite the relative lack of heat and sunshine that help feed the spring tornado outbreaks.

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are a real possibility Monday
in areas shaded in yellow and orange.
 

A new, strong storm system gathering steam today and tomorrow in the middle of the country seems destined to create a broad zone of severe weather and possible tornadoes in the Tennessee and lower Mississippi River valleys.

The severe threat shifts to the Southeast Tuesday. The good news is - like many autumn storms - this one is moving fast, so the threat of tornadoes or severe weather should end by later Tuesday.

Still, people in the South and Southeast should keep an ear out for storm and tornado warnings Monday and Tuesday.  But, during the periods when the weather is safe on Tuesday - and there will be such periods - Southerners should all still venture out and vote Tuesday if they haven't already.

Up here in Vermont, the storm's effects do NOT look dire at all. The storm should dump rain on us Tuesday and produce wind gusts of up to 35 mph. Yeah, not a nice day, but still not nearly so bad where you can't go out and vote. Just bring a rain jacket and you'll be fine.