Why does alabama get tornadoes

WSFA - An EF3 tornado striking a densely populated suburb of Birmingham late in the evening during the heart of winter may seem odd, rare, unusual, and unexpected. The tornado that tore through Fultondale and Center Point is an example of something that Alabama has become familiar with over the last few decades -- rising tornado numbers no matter the time of day, week, month, or year.

Since , tornado activity across the state has increased overall. Since , we see an average of 60 tornadoes in a given calendar year. Compare that to just 39 tornadoes when looking at the average dating back to ! In fact, each of the top 10 years for total tornadoes in Alabama has come since ! The unforgettable year of leads the way with a ridiculous tornadoes hitting the state. We live in an area that sees the ingredients for severe weather and tornadoes come together more than any other part of the country during the cold months of November, December, January, February, March, and April maps available here.

While not the most active months of the year February, December and January actually rank as the 5th, 6th and 7th most active months respectively for tornadic activity in Alabama since But what about trying to determine where in the state tornadoes strike the most?

There are most definitely hot spots for tornado activity across Alabama. When you look at the map above depicting total tornadoes by county since , a few things stand out Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.

Peak tornado season is March through May; Tuscaloosa has a second tornado season from November to early December. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p. The average tornado lasts less than 10 minutes, but it can last from seconds to more than an hour. The winter months make up a secondary severe weather "season. March, April and May are typically thought of as the peak of the severe weather season in Alabama.

And with more than half of May already gone, is it safe to say that tornado season is done? Almost but not quite, according to the National Weather Service.

That is, unless a tropical storm or hurricane comes this way. There are also high numbers of mobile homes in the state and socioeconomic issues at play that can put rural, poorer residents at higher risk. More: Why Alabama tornadoes are the deadliest in the nation. From through , the most common time for tornadoes to strike is around 5 p. Tornadoes are most likely to occur in April, according to National Weather Service data, and least likely to occur in July.

From to , tornadoes were recorded in April across the state. Another occurred in March, the second-most frequent month. Though spring is often thought of as severe weather season, November in Alabama recorded the third-highest tornado total at , followed closely by May. More: 'Not sure why I'm here': Ohatchee residents feared for their lives as Thursday storm devastated the community, state.