NOAA Tornado data: 2016 ‘one of the quietest years since records began in 1954’ – Below average for 5th year in a row

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/torngraph-big.png

As the year winds down, it looks like being yet another very quiet one for tornadoes in the US.

Based on provisional data to Nov 11th, only 2013 has had less tornadoes since 2005.

After “inflation adjusting”, which takes account of the fact that many more tornadoes get to be reported nowadays because of changing technology, 2016 also looks like being one of the quietest since records began in 1954.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/adj.html

It normally takes about three months for local storm reports to be confirmed as tornadoes, and classifications made. Currently, the SPC have confirmed data up to July, so there may some small changes to the above figures.

Meteorologist Bastardi on 2016 Tornado season: ‘Extreme lack of tornadoes. Will need ‘second season’ to stop it from being quietest year on record!’

Flashback: NOAA: Number of major tornadoes in 2015 was ‘one of the lowest on record’ – Tornadoes below average for 4th year in a row – ‘The year finished with 481 tornadoes of EF-1 strength or greater, the fourth year in a row that has been below average. Perhaps more significantly, the number of EF-3 and stronger tornadoes was one of the lowest on record. You have to go back to 1987 to find fewer. There were no EF-5s at all, and only three EF-4s.’