Warmer Pacific Ocean Temperatures Mean More Tornados in US

Tornados can cause devastation when they hit, destroying homes and buildings in their path. Now, though, scientists may have found a way to predict these dangerous wind storms. It turns out that the temperature in the Pacific Ocean can help researchers determined the type and location of tornado activity in the U.S., which  could have major implications as climate conditions continue to warm.

In 2011 alone, tornados caused more than 550 deaths in the U.S. In addition, they contributed to $28 billion in property damage. If scientists could learn a bit more about where and when these tornadoes were due to strike, they could help prevent these types of major issues.

In order to take a closer look at what conditions influence tornados, the researchers surveyed 56,457 tornado-like events from 1950 to 2011. In the end, they found that when surface sea temperatures were warmer than average, the U.S. experienced 20.3 percent more tornados that were rated EF-2 to EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. This scale ranges from zero to five with five being the strongest tornado.

They didn't just find that there were more tornados, though. The scientists also discovered that the location of the tornados changed. When temperatures were above average, the tornados usually appeared to the west and north of tornado alley. When temperatures were cooler, more tornados tracked from southern states, like Alabama into Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana.

"Differences in sea temperatures influence the route of the jet stream as it passes over the Pacific and, eventually, to the United States," said Laurel McCoy, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Tornado-producing storms usually are triggered by, and will follow, the jet stream. This helps explain why we found a rise in the number of tornados and a change in their location when sea temperatures fluctuated."

The findings could help researchers better understand when and where tornadoes are due to strike. In addition, they could help scientists learn a bit more about how tornadoes will be impacted by changing temperatures in the future. This could allow them to understand a little bit more about weather patterns as our climate continues to change.

The findings will be presented at the National Weather Association Conference this fall.