First Alert Weather In-Depth: Fast start to severe weather season in the United States

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Well through this week here in Rochester, we have noticed the battle between warm and cold air with the mild weather the past couple of days and the cool down into this weekend. That battle has lead to a hot start for severe weather season for the United States.

So far to date, we have had over 200 tornadoes accounted for in 2023, while last year at this time we only had about 50. Look at the average, only about 76 for this date which means we have 4 times more than that right now. There have only been two other years in which we have had more: 2008 and 1999. You can see that both of those years ended up above normal for tornado count, so you can bet that we will likely have an above normal tornado year at the end of 2023.

Looking at the tornado risk through the remainder of today. That low risk stretches from Missouri through Oklahoma and into Texas. A much greater risk is in store for tomorrow as we are expecting a severe weather outbreak from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana all the way up into Kentucky and Tennessee.

Here in Rochester, we are not expected to see any severe weather and we really don’t begin to see our tornado threat until May and June. But, this is another sign of Spring, and another sign of the battle between warm and cold air.