Strange? Did you know this about our recent twisters?
*Related video: An Ohio man captures video of a tornado on March 14, 2024*
CLEVELAND (WJW) — If you think there’s been a lot more tornadoes around here the last two springs, you’re right!
This following statistic from FOX 8 Meteorologist Scott Sabol is a real eye-opener.
Sabol reports that on average, Ohio sees 7 tornadoes through April each year, but this year the Buckeye State had 43 tornadoes through April.
Several of those tornadoes touched down in NE Ohio causing extensive damage in places like Windham in Portage County on April 18.
“So far this year, the Ohio tornado count has been record-setting,” Sabol said. “Preliminary numbers put the total at 43, although official tornado track analysis puts the exact number closer to 35. Either way, we haven’t had a year anywhere close to this since…well, last year,” he added.
Tornado Alley shifts east toward Ohio: Experts
2024 delivered Ohio its most tornadoes since tracking started in 1950 and 36 more tornadoes than average.
In the NOAA map below, posted by Scott to his newest blog in Scott Sabol’s World of Weather, you see several damaging tornadoes struck west and east of Cleveland in NE Ohio, while many of the tornadoes swept through west central and central Ohio.
Why so many tornadoes this year?
Sabol explained “First, we have been transitioning out of a very strong El Nino period and rapidly heading into a La Nina. These changes in the equatorial Pacific have impacted the jet stream across the central US. Throughout the winter, the storm track was absent across the US as evident by below normal snowfall across the central US.”
Sabol also said that the jet stream intensity “was abnormally strong in March and April across the Midwest.
What about May?
Going by the 8 Day Forecast, it will be a pleasant and mild to warm setting.
You can check out the current forecast by clicking here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
