Tornadoes in July; Where and How Often?

Happy July 1^st! Many believe that by this time of the year tornado season has concluded. In general that might be right if you are discussing the Gulf coastal area or the Southern Plains. However, tornadoes can occur at any time of the year in any location in the lower 48. As Winter fades into Spring the beginning of tornado season occurs along the Gulf Coast. As Spring peaks, tornado season peaks in the Southern Plains. As June arrives, the peak tornado season shifts northward into northeast Colorado through the Central Plains and into the Upper Midwest. For July, the maximum tornado occurrence remains from northeast Colorado through the Upper Midwest. The average number of tornadoes during the month of July is 94 with a peak of 234 in July 1993.

In total, since 1959 and estimated 5,000 tornadoes have been reported in 47 states.

We now know that as a whole the Upper Midwest is likely the location of the country to most likely see tornadoes during this month but where exactly? Surprisingly, the state to most likely see a tornado during this month is not even in the Upper Midwest but instead is in the Mid-Atlantic, Maryland, based on the Annual Coverage Fraction (ACF) calculated by VorTek. The remaining states within the top 10 are:

1. Maryland
   
2. Nebraska
   
3. Illinois
   
4. Wisconsin
   
5. Iowa
   
6. Minnesota
   
7. Ohio
   
8. New Jersey
   
9. Michigan
   
10. Massachusetts
    

VorTek also calculates the cities most likely to experience a tornado during this month. The city that tops the list is Minneapolis. The completed top 10 list is:

1. Minneapolis, MN
   
2. St. Paul, MN
   
3. Allentown, PA
   
4. Bloomington, MN
   
5. Albany, NY
   
6. Wilmington, DE
   
7. Lowell, MA
   
8. Fargo, ND
   
9. Philadelphia, PA
   
10. Davenport, IA
    

A few of the other cities that made it onto the top 20 list include: Gary, IN (11), Milwaukee, WI (12), Dayton, OH (13), Lansing, MI (15) and Hartford, CT (18).

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