By Tammie Souza, FOX 32 News Weekend Meteorologist - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
The great drought of 2012 continues to build coast-to-coast and while most of the news related to the dry conditions is bad there is at least one bit of good news, less tornadoes.
We started the year January through March with a record number of tornadoes, but just as quickly that trend reversed and April through July has seen near record low numbers of twisters. In fact, July may see the lowest number of tornadoes on record for that month.
The United States is the #1 location on Earth for the number of tornadoes, but this year-to-date we are below 25% of normal tornadoes for the year as outlined on the chart below provided by NOAA.
The main atmospheric reason behind the lack of tornadoes is the huge dome of high pressure which has been in place over much of the U.S. this spring and summer. That dome of hot air is perfect for making a drought, but not for making tornadoes.
The necessary ingredient of heat has been plentiful; however, a fast jet stream, directional or speed wind shear and high humidity are absent. Increasingly dry soil conditions have also hampered atmospheric instability by not releasing additional moisture into the air.
Instead of tornadoes, we have endured a higher than normal number of extreme 80-100 mph wind events known as derechos, microbursts and straight-line winds like the one pictured below that swept from Chicago across the Ohio Valley in late June.
Tuesday, January 22 2013 2:26 PM EST2013-01-22 19:26:59 GMT
Chicago ended an impressive 711 day streak without a sub-zero temperature Tuesday morning. That is the 4th longest such stretch since records began in 1871.
Chicago ended an impressive 711 day streak without a sub-zero temperature Tuesday morning. That is the 4th longest such stretch since records began in 1871.
Friday, January 18 2013 11:18 PM EST2013-01-19 04:18:05 GMT
Frigid Arctic air has been pent up across the Hudson Bay area for several weeks now stuck under the influence a strong polar area of low pressure also known as the "polar vortex."
Frigid Arctic air has been pent up across the Hudson Bay area for several weeks now stuck under the influence a strong polar area of low pressure also known as the "polar vortex."
Friday, January 18 2013 3:41 PM EST2013-01-18 20:41:23 GMT
The U.S. drought of 2012 is considered the worst since the 1950s, but there appears to be some brief relief.
The U.S. drought of 2012 is considered the worst since the 1950s, but there appears to be some brief relief thanks to recent soaking rains stretching from the south through the southeast and the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic states.
Monday, December 3 2012 7:18 PM EST2012-12-04 00:18:16 GMT
Warm, moist air streamed into the Chicago area today and although we were blanketed in fog and clouds, the temperatures soared to record highs between 68 and 72 degrees.
Warm, moist air streamed into the Chicago area today and although we were blanketed in fog and clouds, the temperatures soared to record highs between 68 and 72 degrees.
