It's not your imagination. The U.S. is having a much more prolific and violent tornado season. April saw 289 tornadoes nationwide (and counting). A transition from El Niño (warming) to La Niña (cooling) in the Pacific has left the jet stream more active and energized. Reading the tea leaves of what's happening just to our south, I suspect Minnesota and Wisconsin will see more severe storms and tornadoes in May, June and July than recent years.
April's 4.19 inches at MSP was the 14th-wettest April on record and, to date, this has been the fourth-warmest year since 1871. One stat that caught my eye: 26 days in April with wind gusts over 30 mph, the most on record.
Right on cue here comes another big, burly, sloppy mess of a storm Thursday, with rain and a few embedded thunderstorms, but probably nothing severe close to home. We dry out Friday but showers return Saturday. Plan a walk, bike ride or dock installation for Sunday, when we may hit 70 under sunny skies. A warmer, juicier air mass may spark severe thunderstorms Monday.
