USA Tornado Season 2026

A mate of mine lives in DC and just sent me this just now. Not his photo but his friends photo. Apparently still on the ground

Pretty cool looking radar too, can see the hook

Probably should start posting in here again! Few ok days so far but much further north as opposed to the classic alley.

Today is a choice, play the triple point in OK and risk the cold front coming in too hard too early or go for the good juice and higher end potential around the low over E/NE IA. I think given I'd probably have been up there from previous days that I'd take the second option. Good shear and should be a few discrete to semi discrete supercells ahead of the cold front as it sweeps through with a more linear band.

Thinking around Cascade IA

For those playing OK then Fairview OK may be a start

TS

Nice period coming up, nothing super high end but some solid potential on and off with an active pattern for April.

Bit of a cold front sort of stalling out tomorrow and mixing with the dryline. Some sort of weak triple point as well. Thinking somewhere around Witchita KS maybe a tad south of there at Belle Plaine KS if somethng hooks more SE late, those sort of storms can really surprise like June 8 2019 when I was in NW KS in a similar setup, though more upslope.

TS

Was watching his stream live as it happened. No words really, was insane. His shot just prior with the power flash is even crazier. Certainly a big day and the target area worked very well with an easy catch of the first big one up near Braman when the southern of the two cells became dominant near the KS/OK border. Then a quick drop down to the discrete tail end charlie forming as the previous lot became more linear/clustery to catch the Enid storm, would have been an epic day.

Today target has been Milburn OK, has formed east of there a tad but the rear end cells now forming in the region along a slow moving boundary. Nothing like yesterday but some solid cells about. I hate jungle chasing and that's where it is today.

Tomorrow looks ok but the two days after have a better potential, could be more strong to violent tornadoes.

TS

Tricky one yest in the jungle and today looks similar but much better. A lovely boundary play, somewhere along it will go, just find it and give some room south a bit as anything that latches onto the boundary could move hard right SE even SSE at times. Monster hail today, 4-5inches isn't unreasonable at all and a few strong tornadoes possible from one or a number of supercells. Long looping hodographs, discrete modes early with strong splitting likely.

I'll take Wapanucka OK but it will come down to hour by hour analysis of that boundary and re-position accordingly. Likely initiates NW of there at least but given the complex chase territory and hard right splitting, room will need to be given, could see tornadoes pushing into N TX late with any sustained cells that hold discrete.

Day after a solid one too, KS or perhaps the old school NW OK dryline, it may be a split target and a tough choice.

TS

Geez that Witchita Falls stand alone cell that made a beeline for DFW sure was the dominant cell of the day with all that free air. It behaved as I thought some may with that hard right pull though the ones further into OK verified well with some tornadoes but they were horribly messy with cell mergers and 10million chasers plus bad chase territory. Yuck.

Today is also yuck, there's been a shift south clearly with KS looking cold and elevated. The big issue is I'm not sure any surface based stuff will fire. Low level convergence increases mid arvo and then dies off with winds dropping at peak cap break time. A late shortwave won't help forcing for ascent so it's all going to have to come from the lowers and unsure it can be done. If it does, it will be short but potentialy very sweet as some PDS TOR hodographs over N OK are around. Later, a nocturnal event of elevated supercells looks the main mode with large hail and a number of discrete storms pumping out of the SW across OK into KS later...alas elevated and late.

For the surface target, I'll try up near Ponca City OK but it may fire N or E of there. Tomorrow however should be a lock in moderate risk over the midwest with some long-trackers possible and much faster modes, possibly messy though at times but I'd expect a few decent ones so a long drive NE if things look bad today.

TS

Worked out ok in the end, Ponca City saw a cell form over and just NE of that put down those twins, albeit for about 30 seconds.

Very tricky day today but potentially big. The issues are that the best area is a boundary draped right over one of the biggest cities in the US in St Louis and the congestion issues plus river crossings. It may be a case of start in eastern MO and be ready to cross the river into IL. These setups tend to produce late, strong tornadoes at night well south of the original target so don't be surrpised to see that. For me, the jungle plus metroplex over MO is not chase friendly so I will wait on the other side of the Mississippi to catch them where there is open farmland not far from St.Louis. Smithton IL will do me.

TS

Better get back to this with some decent setups presenting especially tomorrow.

Yesterday I had far eastern CO south of Wray, and a few nice cells got up before that wicked duststorm under the big high based shelf. Very nice!

Today is a tricky one, crashing cold front and a narrow window near the triple point before it gets creamed by the cold front and things get linear quickly. Hodographs and LLJ are better over IA than NE but later and by then could be QLCS type jobs in the dark.

I'll sit around Silver Creek NE and see what forms, ready to shoot SE if need be along the line. Northern areas of NE also look tasty but worried about how far north the warm front gets. Given the cold front, i'd like to give it some room.

TS