We've all heard the term "Tornado Alley." That's traditionally the area where the United States sees the MOST tornadoes on average per year. The Central and Southern Plains own that title, with dozens to hundreds of tornadoes occurring annually in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois.
It all begins in late winter when warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico starts to surge northward, and it meets cold air that has spilled down from central Canada. The clash of these two airmasses creates an explosion of weather energy in the form of severe thunderstorms, large hail and many tornadoes.
Ohio does see its share of tornadoes each year, although certainly not the amount they have in the Plain States. Our state averages 19 tornadoes per year.
I've been doing some digging, and what I've found is surprising. Northern Ohio does have a mini Tornado Alley all its own! I've counted up the number of confirmed tornadoes by county since 1950, and I've discovered that there are counties in the News 5 viewing area where tornadoes are more likely to occur.
The first thing to note is: Tornadoes are less likely to occur within a few miles of Lake Erie. That's because, on warm, humid afternoons, a lake breeze often develops and moves inland. This breeze acts like a cold front and is often the focus for thunderstorm development several miles south of the lakeshore. North of that lake breeze, the air is less humid and more stable, meaning fewer storms and fewer tornadoes.
Now, I've discovered a cluster of Northern Ohio counties where tornadoes have touched down more often since 1950. Each of these counties has seen 20 to 30 twister touchdowns in the last several decades. These counties include Seneca, Huron, Richland, Lorain, Medina and Wayne counties. Cuyahoga County has had 16 confirmed tornado touchdowns. Summit County has had 18, and Stark County has had 19.
With a bit of imagination, we can see a mini Northern Ohio Tornado Alley bordered on the north by Interstate 90 and then moving south through the counties along and just south of Interstate 71.
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