December tornadoes in Kansas and the US

Making national headlines lately are the December tornadoes that went through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Most of the tornadoes have been rated EF-2, but one tornado in northern Louisiana could be upgraded to EF-3 after further investigation into one of the structures that was hit. Tornado winds of EF-3 range from 136-165 mph.

December tornadoes aren't unheard of, especially farther south where temperatures are warmer and the jet stream is still quite active. Look at the map below. According to the average (taken from 1989-2013), Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama (just to name a few) can be hit by late season tornadoes. Texas averages 4 in December, while Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi average 3.

December tornadoes in Kansas:
We've seen them as recent as three years ago. Christmas Day - 2016 saw some rare tornadoes touch down in southwest Kansas. They were part of a squall line that produced very brief tornadoes (on the ground just long enough to tear up a few things). Pictures posted below are courtesy of National Weather Service Dodge City.

Near Kismet

Near Ensign

Near Bucklin

Around the United States, about 1,300 tornadoes touch down each year. We are currently on track to finish the year with an ABOVE normal count on tornadoes (the actual number will change), but it looks like it will be closer to 1,600. You can see in the image below, the red line indicates tornado count for 2019, while the black line is considered "average" to this point in the year.