Studies have shown that “Tornado Alley,” an unofficial designation for the region where the most damaging tornadoes are likely to strike, is shifting east. The term typically encompasses the area from Texas and Oklahoma to the southern Plains and into the Upper Midwest, but experts say tornadoes are increasingly occurring in parts of the Mississippi Valley.
“We’re seeing more events that are occurring off-season and occurring in different sections of the country than we traditionally expect to see tornadoes,” said Christopher Weiss, a professor of atmospheric science at Texas Tech University. “That is concerning.”
More research is needed, but scientists are eager to understand how climate change influences the ingredients that create tornadoes — from temperature to humidity to wind — and what the outcome will be in the frequency and intensity of such storms.
While it’s difficult at the moment to draw direct links between tornadoes and climate change, the impact of warming temperatures is undoubtedly a key piece of the puzzle, Gensini said.
“It’s kind of like major-league baseball during the steroids era,” he said. “If you look at batting averages during that time, you couldn’t say for certain that steroids caused a particular home run, but it’s pretty clear that steroids were playing a role.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
