For a long time, people living in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska have become used to the words “Tornado Alley” because of their frequent tornado activity.
What is Dixie Alley?
With changing weather patterns shifting east and southward and more frequent tornadoes in Arkansas these past few months, scientists have given the region a new name, “Dixie Alley.” The National Weather Service issued 144 warnings in Arkansas, compared to just 39 in Texas from March 14 to April 14.
However, not all of those warnings spawned a tornado, Doppler weather radar picks up a rotation in the clouds that indicates an unusual air pattern with hail cores and other indications that it could have tornadoic activity within the clouds.
“Radar can’t see tornadoes, but it can see circulation aloft when a tornado is likely forming, said the National Weather Service.”
With changing atmospheric conditions, more tornado warnings were issued in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama, a troubling trend that indicates that increasing tornado activity has shifted into the new region. According to the Magnolia Reporter, the main culprit seems to be warmer Gulf waters and a shift in the cold jet stream pattern.
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
Furthermore, the National Weather Service confirmed that 35 tornadoes touched down in April, and at least two were classified as EF-4 on March 14. According to history, the last time a tornado of that magnitude hit the area was in April 2017, which led a path of destruction through western Pulaski County, Faulkner County, and White County, killing 16 people.
The National Weather Service says it can be tricky finding a balance when issuing a tornado warning without unnecessarily warning them too much because people could get complacent and not pay attention, which wouldn’t be a good outcome. Most injuries occur when people don’t heed a warning or are trying to see the tornado without seeking shelter…