(The Center Square) – As Tornado Alley expands, Illinois finds itself poised to break records for extreme weather in 2023.
Warm, moist air drawn north from the Gulf of Mexico is a “key ingredient” in tornadoes that Illinois has experienced every single month of 2023, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist and Senior Vice President Jonathan Porter said.
“In fact, the Gulf of Mexico is some 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit above historic averages over the winter,” Porter said.
This is contributing to increased tornadoes outside the traditional Tornado Alley, including states like Kansas and Nebraska, according to Porter.
“It’s a reminder that in a changing climate, a warming climate, impacts from severe weather are being compounded,” Porter said. “They’re happening in places and times of the year when people might not necessarily expect them.”
Twisters kicked off the year in January, February and March in Illinois, and they contributed to the state’s count of 97 tornadoes as of Aug. 5, up from the historical average of 54 per year, Porter said.
Porter reminded residents that tornado season is expected to deliver another spike in the fall, which leaves Illinois poised to break the record for twisters in the state, a whopping 144 such storms in 2006.
“It’s possible that actually 2023 may break that record … and be the most active year for tornadoes in the state of Illinois,” Porter said.
With effective storm warning systems, however, residents can take action to save their lives if they heed alerts and develop a safety plan. Porter suggested AccuWeather’s free alert system to spring the family into action even if a twister hits at night.
Porter stressed the importance of designating interior rooms as places to go to save lives during severe weather. Often, these rooms are the only structure remaining when a tornado has ripped through an area, he said.
