This Spring Is Forecast To Be The Most Active Tornado Season South Carolina Has Seen In Years

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods in South Carolina today? If you’re finding it’s cooler than it has been in recent weeks, then you may not want to be so eager to appreciate that blast of cold air. According to some experts, that cold air moving in on top of our already warmer than usual winter and spring temps could be the catalyst to drive more tornadoes than usual this spring.

In fact, some experts predict this spring will be the most active tornado season the Southeast has seen in recent years.

Flickr/Frank

It’s all due to three weather patterns that include a swirling batch of cold air in the Arctic, warmer than usual temps for this time of year in the Midwest, South, and Southeast, and warm air shooting up from the Gulf.

NOAA/US Tornadoes

Individually, each weather pattern is not a deciding factor. But together, they’re expected to bring more storms and more tornadoes to South Carolina this spring.

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It’s a trend that’s been lifting upward in South Carolina in recent years. According to South Carolina Emergency Management Division, an average of 11 tornadoes have touched down per year in the Palmetto State since 1950.

Flickr/Alex Ford

But those numbers have been steadily increasing in recent years. So much so, that a new Tornado Alley has been earmarked for parts of South Carolina and North Carolina.

Google Maps [enhanced with tornado graphics and text]

Carolina Alley is considered the fourth most active tornado region in the country and it looks like this spring will be among the most prolific seasons to date.

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Enjoy those cooler temperatures when they occur, but know that when things warm up again, if conditions are just right, major storms could follow.

Flickr/R0Ng

Have you witnessed a tornado firsthand in your part of the state before?