Here’s a silver lining to a weather pattern that’s challenged many farmers with a series of dry growing seasons in the Midwest. Ken Dewey with the High Plains Regional Climate Center says the dry weather cut the number of tornadoes last spring.
For Iowa there were no tornadoes observed at all during May of 2006. He says the only time that’s happened before was in 1978 and in 1969, so it’s very rare. He says it’s a result of drought, which meant overall fewer storms. Overall, the total recorded during the whole summer last year was not much below normal.
There were 25 tornadoes in April 2006 in Iowa, which accounted for more than half the tornadoes of the year. In all, the state of Iowa recorded forty tornadoes all year in 2006.
So except for the active month of April, the tornado season "virtually dried up along with the drought." Dewey says June saw just three tornadoes, July four, August only one and September last year only three. Though the summer was hot, it was rather dry and that lack of moisture is the reason twisters occurred in lower-than normal numbers most of the season.
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