Why are tornadoes so common in Texas and Oklahoma?

Question

What makes that area different from the rest of the United States?

Answer 1

The Mississippi Valley (those states adjacent to the Mississipi River ) and Texas experience more storms because of their proximity to moisture.  In the case of Texas, you have the Gulf of Mexico.    During the spring and summer you have the heat with temperatures in the 90s and 100s and this causes the air to rise rapidly.    Then add in some other feature like cold air aloft and you have what you need for tornadoes.  

Those states have those kind of conditions more often than drier locations.

Answer 2

i live in texas and we have a wonderful weatherman who explains it all...

its because the air heats up over land and when it meets with the gulf air, its unstable. when the air meets, the warm air plows below the cool causing bad thunderstorms. and because of the instability, the clouds may circle in the back causing tornados. tornados are also common up in kansas, nebraska, arkansas, missouri and iowa.

Answer 3

I live In Oklahoma and we get many tornadoes at random. Oklahoma has a lot of mixed up climate. Cold winds from the rockies in Colorado comes down to Oklahoma while Warm winds with humidity comes from the gulf of Mexico and they mix together creating large Supercells. All I have to say is that In Oklahoma you never know what the weather would be like. It can be 90 degrees and in 1 hour of rushing cold front and rain, it drops to like 50 degrees

Answer 4

Texas? I didn't know Texas was one of them. But there are some others states like that too. It's because of flat land. I dunno. Toranadoes like flat land areas.

Answer 5

I have never been to either of the states,but I do have friends who live there and tell me that the land is flat.So im guessing that "Tornados" like flat land.They also like (Mobile Homes).That I will never know why they do.

Answer 6

Melissa has it closest, but the region known as Tornado Alley actually encompasses the most active tornadic sector in the world.  

The reason for this is we have a unique set-up east of the Rockies.  The Great Plains flat terrain helps to keep orographic influences mainly disregarded in the "Alley".  Southerly flow from the warm moisture rich Gulf of Mexico commonly meets up with cold air masses that dive south along northerly Canadian flow. This is where Melissa is slightly mistaken.  The cold air is more dense and actually wedges underneath the warm air mass.  The warmer air is pushed upwards and this creates the instability mentioned.

However, this will only produces the chance for rain.  In turn, you need other factors for tornadoes to occur which are scientific and difficult to easily explain.

Texas and Oklahoma have some of the highest incidents of tornadoes because all these factors match up in the region.  

That's the long answer... hope it helps.

Answer 7

differences in pressure

Answer 8

I believe that is the area called tornado alley

I do not remember exactly what is going on, but there is more unstable air, more wind, etc. Perfect breeding grounds for super cells.