Tornado Center

The live warnings panel at the top of this page plots every active tornado warning polygon issued by the National Weather Service across the United States, refreshed continuously. An empty map means no tornado warnings are in effect anywhere in the country at that moment. Always confirm with weather.gov or a local NWS office before acting.

The Enhanced Fujita scale rates tornado intensity from EF0 to EF5 based on damage surveyed after the fact, with each rating tied to estimated 3-second wind gusts: EF0 is 65–85 mph, EF1 is 86–110 mph, EF2 is 111–135 mph, EF3 is 136–165 mph, EF4 is 166–200 mph, and EF5 is over 200 mph. It replaced the original Fujita scale in the United States in 2007.

A mesoscale discussion is a short-fused Storm Prediction Center product covering a specific region, typically issued one to three hours before a watch. It explains the forecaster's reasoning about an evolving severe threat and often states the probability that a watch will be issued for the area.

Texas records the most tornadoes of any US state by raw count, followed by Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska. Adjusted for land area, Kansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama rank highest. The traditional 'Tornado Alley' spans the central Plains, while 'Dixie Alley' across the Deep South sees a higher share of nocturnal and long-track killer tornadoes.

US tornado activity peaks in spring, with April through June the most active months nationally and a secondary late-autumn peak in the Southeast. The peak shifts north through the season: the Gulf Coast is most active in March and April, the southern Plains in May, and the northern Plains and Midwest in June and July. Tornadoes are possible in any month.