List of United States tornadoes from January to February 2023
Wikimedia list article
This page documents all tornadoes confirmed by various weather forecast offices of the National Weather Service in the United States for January and February 2023. Based on the 1991–2020 average, about 39 tornadoes are typically recorded across the United States during January and about 36 tornadoes are recorded in February. These tornadoes are commonly focused across the Southern United States due to their proximity to the unstable airmass and warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as California in association with winter storms.
In January 2023, 130 tornadoes were confirmed across the United States, the third highest count on record in that month behind 1999 and 2017. It likewise featured the third most tornado watches on record, at 25. A total of 793 severe weather reports were received by the Storm Prediction Center, which is more than double the 10-year average of 348 reports. Five days featured a level 3/Enhanced risk of severe weather, the most in a January since the implementation of that risk category in 2014. Well above average activity was likely enhanced by the ongoing La Niña. Although the brunt of the tornadic activity was concentrated across the Southern United States, particularly in Alabama which saw its highest number of January tornadoes on record, Iowa saw its first January tornadoes since 1967, and Illinois recorded its highest number of January tornadoes in a single day in 34 years.
February did not see as many tornadoes, but was still above average with 56 tornadoes, making it the 10th most of active February on record.
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