The social media world is going crazy over a tornado in the Four Corners region of Utah on Saturday, September 13. This is a rare event, especially in September. This tornado brought the tornado count up to 7 in Utah.
Courtesy Navajo Police Department in Utah.
Courtesy Navajo Police Department in Utah.
Texas, Illinois, and Missouri have seen the most tornadoes year-to-date in 2025. Missouri has had 120 tornadoes, Illinois 134, and Texas 148. The United States has seen 1,477 tornadoes YTD. This is on par with 2019 and is roughly 150 tornadoes fewer than last year over the same period.
Arkansas is in the top 10 with 60 tornadoes, ranking it at number 9 for most tornadoes year-to-date. 85 percent of Missouri’s tornadoes have been EF-0 and EF-1, while just 15 percent have been EF-2 or stronger. In Arkansas, 77 percent have been EF-0 and EF-1.
Fall is often called the ‘second spring’ for severe weather, and there is a slight uptick in tornadoes in the fall. But can we expect the active severe weather season from the spring to play out similarly in the fall? Likely not.
On average, Missouri averages 30 tornadoes in March, April, and May and Arkansas averages 22. These averages plummet to 6 in Missouri and 7 in Arkansas for October, November, and December. This is slightly higher than the summer months of July and August, when just 1 or 2 tornadoes are averaged over the past 25 years.
The outlook for October and November is leaning towards warm and dry. This doesn’t usually spell out an increased storm risk. It does, however, point towards increased drought potential as we dive into fall.
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