Region of the United States containing Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa.
What is Tornado Alley?
200
This effect makes tornadoes rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
What is the Coriolis Effect?
200
A very weak tornado that is not associated with a wall cloud or mesocyclone. (Equivalent of a water spout)
What is a land spout?
200
Only continent to never have tornadoes.
What is Antarctica?
300
The latitudes at which tornadoes are most likely to happen.
What is 30-50 degrees North and South?
300
A rotating, cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground. When it reaches the ground, it is called a tornado.
What is a funnel cloud?
300
Region of United States, other than Tornado Alley, where tornadoes appear frequently.
What is Florida's Gulf Coast?
400
Scale most popular for measuring tornado strength. Invented by Dr. Theodore Fujita, it originally started at an F0-F5 system. After a massive tornado hit the US, it was revised to an EF0-EF5 scale.
What is the Fujita Scale?
400
A rain free base that usually develops before tornadoes or funnel clouds.
What is a wall cloud?
400
The state where the most tornadoes appear in the US.
What is Florida?
500
The chances that a tornado is an F5.
What is 0.1%?
500
A rotating vortex of air within a supercell thunderstorm.
What is a mesocyclone?
500
Of all the tornadoes that the United States receives each year, this is the percent that are violent.