Meteorologists tracked a supercell thunderstorm forming between southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, though it wasn’t exactly clear what the storm system would bring into the early evening. CT, indicating conditions were favorable for tornadoes in Missouri and three neighboring states.Ĭold fronts clashed with warm fronts throughout the afternoon. Two days later, NWS issued a tornado watch around 1:30 p.m. The National Weather Service projected the potential for a severe weather system two days in advance, issuing an alert for a hazardous weather outlook on May 20, 2011.
Fewer than one percent of all tornadoes reach EF5 status, while even fewer of those strike populated areas, like Joplin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The 2011 twister not only embodied characteristics of the “Tornado Alley” region but carried them out to an extent rarely seen in the Midwest.
