Posted in Wisconsin April 15, 2020 by

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

Did you know that it’s Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin? It’s true. And in honor of the weeklong event, which runs from April 13th to 17th, we thought it was the perfect time to talk about the predictions made regarding this year’s tornado season. Probably not what you want to hear, it looks like the 2020 tornado season will be an active one. Take a look:

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According to AccuWeather’s forecast, this spring season will bring with it a slightly above-normal number of tornadoes.
Wisconsin Weather/Facebook
To put that into perspective, it’s estimated that 1,350 to 1,450 tornadoes will strike the U.S. in 2020, which is 5 to 15 percent higher than the nation’s annual average.
The AccuWeather forecast went on to say that the nation as a whole will see a typical number of tornadoes in April. The same can’t be said for May, though, which is expected to experience 10 to 30 percent more tornadoes than average.
Storm talk/Wikimedia
May, in particular, is predicted to be an active month in the Midwest. The expected increase in tornado activity is attributed to higher-than-usual surface temperatures and an active northern jet stream.
Wisconsin is no stranger to severe weather, though.
Louis/Flickr
The state averages about 23 tornadoes per year; however in 2019, that number was a bit higher. According to the National Weather Service, 28 tornadoes touched down in Wisconsin last year.
One of the state’s deadliest tornado outbreaks was The 1958 Colfax, Wisconsin Tornado Outbreak, which occurred on June 4, 1958.
Our Old Town Eau Claire/Facebook
The outbreak produced an F5 tornado, which traveled about 33 miles through St. Croix and Dunn Counties, leaving death and destruction in its path. All in all, at least 21 people were killed and 74 injured.
Another record-making storm was The 1899 New Richmond Tornado. To this day, it remains the 9th deadliest tornado in US history.
Public Domain/Wikimedia
The deadly F5 tornado struck on June 12, 1899. It wreaked havoc for 45 miles, through St. Croix, Polk, and Barron Counties, killing 117 people. New Richmond saw some of the worst destruction — more than half the town was destroyed by the storm.
Wisconsin isn’t just facing an active tornado season, though.
The National Guard/Flickr
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring outlook, which was released back in March, flooding will be an issue for about 1/3 of the U.S. The prediction went on to say that the Midwest, along with the Northern Plains, are most at risk.

So, what are your thoughts about the predictions for the 2020 tornado season? Tell us in the comments section.

This isn’t the only spring performance Mother Nature is putting on. Read about another here.

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