BEYOND THE FORECAST: WHAT’S THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE AT WHICH A TORNADO HAS FORMED?

The majority of tornadoes occur with temperatures and dew points in at least the 50s, but there are some exceptions. A twister struck Altus, Oklahoma on Feb. 22, 1975, with the temperatures near freezing. The EF2 twister killed two and injured 12. Tornadoes have also been reported in areas with snow cover nearby. On April 10, 2011, an EF3 twister hit near Merrill, Wisconsin while area lakes were still frozen, and on Jan. 7, 2008, two twisters struck in southeast Wisconsin along the south edge of the snowpack. Tornadoes occasionally occur in the warm sector of winter snowstorms.