When is Florida's Tornado Season?
Florida has two Tornado Seasons.
- The Summer Season, from June until September has the
highest frequencies with usual intensities of F0 or F1
on the Fujita Scale. This includes
those tornadoes that form from landfalling
Tropical Cyclones.
- The Deadly Spring Season, from February through April is
characterized by more powerful tornadoes because of the presence of the
jet stream. When the jet stream digs south into Florida and is accompanied by a strong cold front and a
strong squall line of thunderstorms, the jet stream’s high level winds of
100 to 200 mph often strengthen a thunderstorm into what meteorologists
call a supercell or mesocyclone.
These powerful storms can move at speeds of 30 to 50 mph, produce
dangerous downburst winds, large hail and the most deadly tornadoes.
What Time Are Florida's Tornadoes Likely to Strike?
Florida tornado climatology shows us that strong
to violent tornadoes are just as likely to occur after midnight as they are in the afternoon. This unique
feature makes these tornadoes more dangerous, because most people are asleep
after midnight and cannot receive weather warnings relayed by commercial radio
or television stations.