Tornado season in the United States typically runs from March through June, and recent trends show around 1,200 individual tornadoes strike the U.S. each year, according to the NOAA. However, tornado data recorded before the mid-1990s – when the NEXRAD Doppler radar system was introduced – almost certainly didn't show weaker events that Doppler technology has allowed modern weather experts to detect. Because of this, the NOAA states they don't know the true annual average number of tornadoes in the U.S. The frequency of tornadoes varies greatly across different regions of the U.S., and where you live can even effect when you'll experience the height of tornado season. For example, the NOAA reports that the southern Plains generally experience tornado season from May into early June, while it's usually earlier in the year on the Gulf Coast and later in the upper Midwest. According to their data, in 2021 there were 156 tornado event days in the U.S., with the highest number of days with tornadic activity occurring in July (25) and August (24). February and November were the least active months for tornadoes in 2021, with just 4 active days recorded in each month. In 2022 so far, April has seen the greatest number of tornado event days with 17. In the slideshow above, we look at which states have historically recorded the highest number of tornadoes, according to the NOAA.

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