what causes tornadoes to form and why are they so often along the same historical paths?

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what causes tornadoes to form and why are they so often along the same historical paths?

In: Physics

5 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

For the most part; a tornado forms when nice warm, moist air collides with cooler air. **It is the temperature difference in the air masses that provide the energy needed**. In the USA, as the Gulf water warms up air masses to the South they tend to flow North and collide with arctic air masses coming South out of the Dakotas from the Arctic VIA Canada.

Most of the winter the Gulf air isn’t warm enough to create such a difference in the air masses. To the West, to some degree, the Rocky Mountains aid in keeping “Tornado Alley”to it’s East. It just so happens that these masses tend to collide over what we know as “Tornado Alley.” As Spring progresses, these air masses shift to the “Midwest” away from the plains as a general trend.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Like when youre hiking do u justmarxh through the shrub or like following th e path?

Anonymous 0 Comments

This question is related to the Nashville tornado I’m assuming. It’s pretty interesting how it’s location is a tornado alley.

Anonymous 0 Comments

As to why they follow the same paths:

Geography largely defines weather patterns. Since the actual geography of the Great Plains remains the same, the cold weather comes down to the same relative place and meet warm air masses in the same relative places and so the storms form in the same relative places.

Anonymous 0 Comments

When warm, moist air mixes with cold air. When they meet the work around each other creating the cyclone. Most tornadoes form during thunderstorms, but that is not a requirement for there to be one.

Same paths have to do with where these warm and cold fronts meet which is typically around “tornado alley.” (cold air from Canada & warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico)

I live in the Midwest and at times you can predict that there will be a tornado watch or warning that day just based on how the air feels.