From Property-Casualty 360
°:
After a near-record number of tornadoes in 2011, this year is gearing
up to be another active season, according to AccuWeather.com.
The weather service says that climatic activity last year produced a
near record year for tornadoes with a total of 1,709, making it the
fourth most deadly tornado year in the United States. The record was set
in 2004 with 1,817 tornadoes. The average is 1,300.
A strong La Niña phenomenon last year, with sea surface temperatures
in the central and eastern Pacific around the equator below normal,
produced a very strong jet stream. This is a key ingredient for severe
weather.
In the La Niña year, the normal tornado pattern shifts east, causing
many twisters to hit from Texas to Kansas, say the forecasters. The
phenomenon causes warmer-than-normal Gulf of Mexico waters, like last
year, and is expected to be a key component to another active tornado
season this year.
This year, the La Niña appears to be weaker which may mean near
normal temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific by
spring....MORE
Here's NOAA on how the year is shaping up versus the last seven:
Plot of the annual running total of U.S. tornadoes. (Click on image for a full resolution version.)
