Weather
Why Alaska Usually Doesn’t Get TornadoesThe tornado in Joplin, Missouri, was one of the deadliest twisters in history. Tornadoes are common across the Plains states, but why not in Alaska?On Sunday, Joplin, MO, experienced one of the most deadly twisters in history. However, many Alaskans may be wondering why tornadoes usually don't occur in the Last Frontier. The topography and geographical location of the Plains states make for the perfect recipe for severe thunderstorms. The radar can pick up rain, hail, and in Joplin’s case yesterday, debris being wrapped around the tornado. While this setup of atmospheric conditions can, in rare instances, occur in Alaska, it is certainly far less common and less severe than across the Plains. We also suffer from generally low population density across the state, meaning even if a thunderstorm produces a tornado, there might not be anyone there to report it. Tuesday will likely feature yet another tornado outbreak that could include the Joplin area. So even as residents there clean up, they join millions of others under the gun once again. |
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Herb said on Wednesday, May 25 at 12:06 PM
WE do indeed have tornado's even though I have not seen one, I have seen where they have touched down. There is place on the Dennison River near Chicken where I go hunting. Las year as we were moose hunting we stumbled onto an area of huge spruce trees that had clearly been leveeled by the such a tornado it was area about the size of a football field the trees were all brought down at the same time all tristed and piled on top of each other, no small branches of any of the trees where to be found. only a tornado could have done this.
67724187Alaska1974 said on Tuesday, May 24 at 4:19 PM
Who says we "suffer" from low population density? I relish our low population density and wish it was a little more sparse.
67668927patrick said on Tuesday, May 24 at 10:23 AM
i have seen cute little water twister's just outside of seamart in sitka twice
67647922Neil said on Tuesday, May 24 at 10:16 AM
Those who swear that tornadoes occur in Alaska are mistaken. I know that small "whirlwinds" occur, but no tornadoes. By the way, Bigfoot exists only under the influence of Alcohol.
67647332Alaska78 said on Tuesday, May 24 at 10:02 AM
We had a very small tornado last week right over Flat Top, maybe not as strong as other places, but it was a funnel, so lets pray it doesn't get bigger than that :)
67646162Elaine said on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:35 AM
We watched a funnel trying to form in the sky above the school in Nunapitchuk last year. One strong one and one faint one.....
67643977Anonymous said on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:34 AM
Last year our village of Nunap watched a funnel trying to develop in the sky above us. Actually two of them. And I remember seeing water spouts along the Kuskokwim river as a little girl on a boat trip or two to Bethel.
67643893Vickie said on Tuesday, May 24 at 9:08 AM
Alaskan Tornado: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/stormcenter/2005-08-02-Alaska-tornado_x.htm
67641742Redrock said on Tuesday, May 24 at 8:54 AM
Might want to check your facts before reporting such things. The interior of Alaska does for a fact get tornados. Temperatures in the Fairbanks area can and have reached 100 deg in the summer. The weather in Alaska has changed over the last 40 or so years. We get tornados, we thunder and lighting, hail and it rains very very hard
67640672Kathleen said on Tuesday, May 24 at 8:12 AM
Yes, we do get occasional tornados here! They just don't get as large or do as much damage as they do in Tornado Alley. We don't have the equipment in place to measure them, but I would bet no Alaska tornado has been above an F2 on the Fujita Scale. Good explaination but bad reporting.
67637366Walter Jensen said on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:58 AM
Great report but it fizzled short of the end. It looks like a web page syntax error.
67636206rachel said on Tuesday, May 24 at 7:44 AM
There is a video of a tornado touching down on the Northway runway I saw many years ago. I think it was from the 1990's.
67635266Pollyanna said on Tuesday, May 24 at 3:40 AM
I do not think that, we have a radar or tornadoes detector here for tornadoes that is why we do not have one. We have tsunami headquarters. But, we will never know since the weather is really changing but again, we could only pray that there would never be one.
67612349akrabbitt said on Tuesday, May 24 at 12:01 AM
I believe in 1993 or 1994, we had a tornado close to the Achorage bowl, but I might have dreamed that.I don't think so, but I remember it happening. Nothing was damaged, but it still happened.
67606057clintcurtis said on Monday, May 23 at 10:40 PM
A pilot flying into White Mountain got a good picture of a tornado there about 5 years ago. They are rare up here, but they do occur.
67604112f frederick skitty said on Monday, May 23 at 9:48 PM
there doesn't seem to be any mention of tornadoes in native american lore. anybody out there know of any such references?
67603219Andi said on Monday, May 23 at 9:44 PM
few years ago there was a tornado out near Bethel and Aniak. There have also been waterspouts near Homer.
67603128Paul said on Monday, May 23 at 9:40 PM
I was in Sitka about 20 years ago, when they (USCG) spotted a waterspout about 7 miles west of the City.. believe we do have tornado's here, but rarely.. great information in your article.
67603069Dave said on Monday, May 23 at 9:02 PM
Good explanation!!
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