Learn the peak months for your region, but treat every tornado watch or warning seriously whatever the month.
| Region or state | Typical peak (SPC) |
|---|---|
| Gulf Coast | Earlier in the spring |
| Southern Plains | May into early June |
| Northern Plains and upper Midwest | June or July |
| Tornado season in Texas | May is the busiest month (31 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
| Tornado season in Kansas | May is the busiest month (38 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
| Tornado season in Missouri | May is the busiest month (26 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
| Tornado season in Tennessee | April is the busiest month (24 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
| Tornado season in Florida | June is the busiest month (15 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
| Tornado season in Oklahoma | May is the busiest month (41 percent of its tornadoes, 1950 to 2025) |
What tornado season means
Tornado season usually means the peak period for historical tornado reports in an area, averaged over the history of reports. There is a general northward shift from late winter through mid-summer. Tornadoes can happen any day or night of the year.
Peak months by region
In the southern Plains the peak is from May into early June. On the Gulf Coast it comes earlier in the spring. In the northern Plains and upper Midwest it is June or July. The SPC points to tornado probability graphics from NSSL that show the distribution during the year for your area.
Peak month in the busiest states
Using the NOAA SPC counts behind our tornadoes by state page: Texas peaks in May, Kansas peaks in May, Missouri peaks in May, Tennessee peaks in April, Florida peaks in June, Oklahoma peaks in May. Exact counts for each of these states are in the questions below.
The first tornado of the year
The earliest tornado in the modern record, since 1950, struck Attala County, Mississippi, two minutes into the new year on January 1, 2011. The average date of the first U.S. tornado was January 11 over 1950 to 2011. The SPC has found no correlation between how active the late winter is and the following spring or summer.
Tornado Alley
Tornado Alley is a nickname in the popular media for a broad swath of relatively high tornado occurrence in the central U.S. Maps differ because occurrence can be measured many ways, by all tornadoes, county segments, strong and violent tornadoes only, or with different time periods. Violent and killer tornadoes happen outside the Alley every year, and tornadoes can occur almost anywhere in the U.S., including west of the Rockies and east of the Appalachians.
How many tornadoes a year
Recent trends indicate around 1,200 a year, give or take a few hundred. Reported counts have increased since NEXRAD Doppler radar arrived in the mid 1990s, almost entirely in weak EF0 to EF1 tornadoes that are now detected and reported more often, which does not mean actual occurrence has gone up.
Climate change
The SPC says climate change does not cause tornadoes, thunderstorms do, and that how climate change will influence tornado occurrence is not known.
On this site
Our tornadoes by state page shows tornado counts for each state from 1950 through the latest complete year.
Check your own location
See current official alerts and the impact for your ZIP code.
Common questions
When is tornado season?
It depends on the region. The SPC describes a northward shift from late winter through mid-summer: the Gulf Coast peaks earlier in spring, the southern Plains from May into early June, and the northern Plains and upper Midwest in June or July.
What states are in Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley is a nickname, not an official area. The SPC says maps differ depending on whether they use all tornadoes, strong and violent tornadoes only, or different time periods. See tornadoes by state for counts by state.
What season do tornadoes occur the most?
Spring. In the NOAA SPC record for 1950 to 2025, May has the most tornadoes nationwide (22 percent), followed by June and April. Where the peak falls depends on the region, from earlier in spring on the Gulf Coast to June or July in the northern Plains.
Is Tornado Alley getting bigger or moving?
The SPC FAQ does not say it is expanding or moving. It says Tornado Alley maps look different depending on how occurrence is measured, and that how climate change will influence tornadoes is not known.
How many tornadoes hit the U.S. each year?
Recent trends indicate about 1,200 a year, give or take a few hundred. The SPC says the actual average is unknown because reporting methods have changed.
Sources
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The Online Tornado FAQ
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center: severe weather database
Reviewed by the Storm Incoming editorial team on October 27, 2026. Follow local emergency officials if their instructions differ.