A review of the 2008 tornado season

Last year's tornado season is one that had many highlights and captured so many peoples attention. Some of us knew that the 2008 tornado season was going to be an active one with an unusual start the season (major outbreaks in January and February). 1690 is the number of confirmed tornadoes so far and with two months of tornadoes still to confirm, 2008 may just past of the leader of 1817 confirmed tornadoes back in 2004. Here is a summary of the 2008 tornado season.







In the month of January, 136 tornadoes were reported, 84 which were confirmed. January 7th was unusual (located far north) the highlight outbreak of the month. Over 70 tornado reports that day. One to note is the outbreak that took place across northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. In Wheatland Wisconsin, major structural damage was reported, 11 homes were destroyed or flattened and nine others heavily damaged. 15 people were injured there. That was only the second January tornado on record in Wisconsin.

Many will not forget the "Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak" in February. 87 were reported on this day with the hoghest rated tornado being an EF4. 55 people died from the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. In this month, there were 230 tornadoes reported in the United States of which 147 were confirmed. That set a new monthly record for February.






Here is a list by month of tornadoes confirmed. *Note: November and December are still under evaluation meaning the total may change.
March 129
April 189
May 461
June 294
July 93
August 101
Sept. 111
October 21
*Nov. 20
*Dec. 40
*Total 1690

The Weather Channel® News/Breaking Weather Widget

Arctic Outbreak

A major Arctic outbreak bringing in by far the coldest weather this winter season from the northern Plains/Midwest to the Deep South and Northeast. An article from the NWS page gives evidence to just how cold it is!

Are Those Clouds On Satellite??

Did you know that meteorologists use satellites that measure temperature to detect cloud cover at night? That's right, "infrared" or "IR" satellite imagery actually measures the temperature being emitted from the earth. Since clouds usually reside in the colder air above the ground, cloud cover shows up as "colder" temperatures (usually brighter colors) on IR satellite images, while cloud free areas show the temperatures closer to the ground which tend to be warmer (usually gray-ish colors). Infrared satellites work really well at showing cloud cover most of the time, however, when the air near the ground gets as cold as air typically gets aloft IR satellites detect that cold air and it shows up as "cloudiness" on satellite.

The satellite image below is a prime example of bitter cold air showing up as cloud cover. Notice the expansive area of yellowish colors extending from the Dakotas and Minnesota northward across most of southern Canada. That isn't cloud cover, that's just bitter cold air near the surface! When cold air shows up like this on satellite it can allow you to see unique features that sometimes are hard it visualize, such as the pocket of warmer air around Minneapolis, MN, due to the effects of the urban heat island of that city. Also, notice the cold air doesn't make it over Lake Superior, which is still mostly unfrozen and helping moderate the cold air mass. Farther south, the satellite is picking up streak of cloud cover from the central plains east to Missouri and also over the eastern Great Lakes.