Where is 'Dixie Alley'? Term looks at shift in 'tornado alley' to the southeast
As we head into tornado season, talks of "Tornado Alley" crop up more and more. But while the plains see a number of destructive weather phenomena, so does the South.
According to information compiled from the National Weather Service and other weather services, tornadoes in the South tend to be deadlier than those in the Plains because of several factors such as longer, larger tornado paths, expanding population, more mobile homes and more nighttime tornadoes.
A term coined "Dixie Alley," has cropped up in recent years as the number of destructive and fatal tornadoes that rip through states in the South increased.
And while it isn't a term used by meteorologists, it has started to gain traction in American culture.
"Tornado Alley is an area of the U.S. where there is a high potential for tornado development," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said.
The area considered Tornado Alley consists of much of northern Texas northward through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and parts of Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska and eastern Colorado are considered part as well. This region of the U.S. is considered to be vulnerable to tornado development because contrasting air masses frequently collide to produce strong and violent thunderstorms. A perfect stage for tornado development, according to AccuWeather.
Only three whole states are part of tornado alley: Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
Tennessee is not part of Tornado Alley, but the state has had its fair share of tornadoes over the years.
Comparing annual data from 1980 to 1999 with 2000 to 2019, 20 U.S. states saw an increase in tornado activity, including Tennessee. Scientists can't pinpoint precisely how much may be due to an increase in reporting due to improved technology.
At the beginning of February, two tornadoes ripped through East Tennessee and in recent weeks the state and Mississippi Valley have seen its fair share of deadly storms. And while devastating, the increase in tornado activity in these areas isn't something new.
In the last several years, meteorologists have noticed a shift toward the Southeast as the frequency of tornadoes increased in Southern states like Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.
The Southern states that are in the path of the shift are parts of eastern Texas and Arkansas into Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and includes upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina. This area has been referred to as "Dixie Alley" since the 1970s, but weather service institutions — like the Weather Channel — have refrained from using the name in recent years.
Tennessee usually sees the highest number of tornadoes during the month of April, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But tornado season runs from March to May in Tennessee.
One of the biggest factors affecting the weather in the Southern part of the U.S. is the Gulf of Mexico. According to AccuWeather, the water in the gulf may heat up quickly during the middle and latter part of the spring, which could cause troublesome weather in May.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is 'Dixie Alley'? Has Tennessee become part of tornado alley?
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