How Tornadoes Form
The formation of a tornado can be broken down to three stages: 1) low level horizontal spin, 2) updraft tilting, and 3) vertical rotation.
Stage 1 (Low Level Horizontal Spin)
Before thunderstorms develop, winds change direction and increase in speed with altitude. This creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere
Stage 2 (Updraft Tilting)
Rising air within the thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air (stage 1) from horizontal to vertical.
Stage 3 (Vertical Rotation)
An area of rotation around 2-6 miles wide now extends through much of the storm. Most tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation.
Related Articles:
This entry was posted in
Basic Meteorology and tagged
severe weather,
Tornado. Bookmark the
permalink.
2026-2031 Atlantic Hurricane Names
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30 each year. Storms are named alphabetically from a predetermined list beginning with "A" through "W", excluding names beginning with "Q" or "U." A storm receives its…
Read More
2026 Atlantic Hurricane Names
Hurricanes are named alphabetically from a predetermined list beginning with the letter "A" through "W", excluding names beginning with "Q" or "U."A storm is first named by the National Hurricane Center when the system becomes a…
Read More
