Ive seen several tornadoes where I live and I was thinking this mornning about their directions. They have all headed North East every time . The first one I saw I was in as a kid in 1960 and theres probably been 25 since I can remember but I get them mixed up some .
Why do they all go that direction?
Tim
Edited 10/6/2005 10:03 am ET by Mooney
Replies
The moist air in the gulf meets "the dry line" which comes from the west and it follows the front, usually pushing storms and tornadoes in a NE direction
I don't think all tornados head northeast.
Certainly the majority of them do, but not all.
I don't think all tornados head northeast.
Certainly the majority of them do, but not all.
It's some majority, though, because I remember being repeatedly taught that tornados run SW to NE. Now, that movement is really of the supercell system that spawns the tornado, which is running anticlockwise about its center.
Now, the "40's" by lattitude, tend to have an irflow which is SW to NE, so that may have something to do with it, too.
I remember that waterspouts have no predictable track, though--which mayhave more to do with dragging a fluid 14 times more dense than air around.
I'll have to fire an email off to some one I know who knows a research meteorologist.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Im wondering about you.
Because I watch the weather several times a day. I also track storms . Ive got weather channel, and the same I guess on puter of course and scanner with three weather stations . I started it when I was young because Ive always worked out side . Then the lumber yard and deliveries. Then being a painter and drywall contractor. Theres a bunch of stuff to scheduling painting with crews. I never spray laquer in the rain and many things like that . Anyway the weather has been part of my life, all my life.
IM wondering if because of the farm you keep up with it .
Anyway, there have been some tornadoes with a different degree on the compass but never out of the scope we are talking about. Never one directly from the South to North or a change in any other major direction.
Well, I maybe be hard headed, stubborn, and wrong. But I came by it honestly. I really do think I'm right. But I don't have time to google and sift through dozens of links to try to prove it. Maybe Bob Walker will do it. He seems to have endless amounts of time to sift through websites to try to support his liberal causes...
Don't worry - I can't remember YOUR name either
tornadoes are attracted by trailer parks, if there is a park within your area that where there heading.
LOL
>>Maybe Bob Walker will do it. He seems to have endless amounts of time to sift through websites to try to support his liberal causes...I know it burns your butt that I provide support for the positions I take, rather than simply spurting.When one knows how to research, though, it rerally doesn't take much time.You might consider trying it, you could learn something.
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Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace
Mooney, in what part of the country do you live?
When I was in Iowa, it did seem like they always traveled N.E. for the most part, but while I was living in Texas, The big killer tornado that decimated the town of Jarrell and killed so many people traveled pretty much due south for about 50 miles. It basically followed right down Interstate 35 for most of it's path.
It origionated around Waco and stopped just about 20 miles short of Austin. I was lucky, it skipped right over us (Temple TX) before touching back down and starting on its path of destruction.
Edited 10/6/2005 9:51 pm ET by Mark
Im in the river valley region in North West Arkansas.
I know for a fact of am life time here that tornadoes like valley floors or rivers when mountain regions on both sides wall it . In trapping terms , the mountains are guide sticks or trails of least resistence in between them. I always figgured thats what happens to hurricanes metting the restrictions from objects on land. But I dunno. Never has a tornado here went over a mountain of 2600 ft or more in my life history here. They normally follow the river path at least part of the way , but still lay in the valley. Because our mopuntains are so close to us , we are in a normally used path by them. Past us East, the mountain to the North goes away from the river and the tornadoes follow the guide stick of hence North East. But most all storms follow the same path as well . Our strongest winds are normally the same direction noted as well.
The rain nearly always every time comes from the West. In tracking those storms, are comming out of Texas generally which gives them a North East direction on radar.
Tim
Cap'n Mac just corrected me, it was Jarrell not Jasper that got hit by that tornado.
Man what I would give to have 1/10 of the memory that I used to have!" If I were a carpenter"
The eastward portion is natural....the earth rotates under the storm. I think any other componenets of direction (n,s,e or w) would be caused by the direction of spin.
You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Then like the force of bath tub water whirling through the drian always clockwise?
Tim
Hey the water goes counter clockwise in my toilet!
My brother in Law is a meteorolegist (sp?) and a huge storm chaser.......
I grew up in Illinois and we saw our fair share of twisters, all to my knowledge went SW to NE. But then I started watching my BIL's storm video's, and chasing some with him, and found out real quick that they can go just about anywhere.
Typically the system goes SW to NE (just about any weather where I'm from goes East) and I'd say about 85% of the twisters do too.
But there are always those few! I'm more in agreement with brownbaggs theory.
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer!
Edited 10/6/2005 5:36 pm ET by custombuilt
You have left me ROARING!
Hey the water goes counter clockwise in my toilet
Get outta here! <G>
I'm more in agreement with brownbaggs theory.
The mobile homes right ? hehehehe
Tim
Tornados are drawn to mobile homes! Its caused by some hyper-magnetic force. Or possibly the shear amount of junk in the typical front yard. I dunno, last I heard our government was spending millions researching this.
And Doggaunit! I just went and checked, and even though I'm south of the equator, my toilet flushes clockwise! Lies, Lies, they're all lies........................
toilet flushes clockwise! Or counterclockwise...anyway, just wondering why it flushes clockwise? Who made the idea to go that way? Bathtubs would drain clockwise automatic because of the earth's northern but if you were on the southern it wuld go counterclockwise.....then are toilets flushed counterclockwised?
Often the jets in a toilet are angled slightly to encourage the swirling motion to get started. This would override any directional tendency introduced by the earth's motion.--------------
No electrons were harmed in the making of this post.
Yea , but which way does yours go?
Yeah, I came to the conclusion it is caused by the jets.......
I am yet to test the bathtub.
So if you're directly on the equator, which way does it go?
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer!
Edited 10/8/2005 7:23 pm ET by custombuilt
down
I can personally verify that at least one tornado came from the NW and went SE. The dang one that about killed me and wrecked my stairshop on 7/11/04.
It is true however that "most" go from the SW to the NE.
Stan
A few years ago a tornado destroyed a large portion of a town near here. On the news, they showed footage of a place with all kinds of strange debris, smashed cars, twisted metal, etc. However the place they showed always looked like that...it was a very junky junkyard--was not even touched by the twister.
I'm guessing it depends a lot on the usual storm track in your area.
No electrons were harmed in the making of this post.
wonder if it has anything to do with the Coriolis Effect ... ?
U know ... makes toilets swirl ... which seems to be an untruth also?
anyways ... wonder if the old Coriolis Effect pinballs tornadoes and hurricanes to the north east ... as the rest of the weather flows north east ...
might just be that the tip of the north east United States typically votes democrat ...
and Bush is at the helm of the top secret weather machine again!
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I think you are on track Jeff.
Tim