This page documents all tornadoes confirmed by various weather forecast offices of the National Weather Service in the United States in May 2024. Tornado counts are considered preliminary until final publication in the database of the National Centers for Environmental Information. Based on the 1991âÂÂ2020 average, about 268 tornadoes occur in May. Activity spreads northward and westward in May, with the maxima moving into the Midwest and the Great Plains as the springtime jet stream patterns tend to occur farther north (while the South begins to see decreasing activity), while the potential for tornadic activity also increases in the Northeastern United States.
May was a very active, violent, and deadly month for tornadoes. A very sharp temperature and moisture contrast due to a weakening El Niño caused temperatures across the Plains and Midwestern United States to be cooler than normal while record-breaking heat waves continued across Texas and Mexico. This temperature contrast led to an abnormally strong jet stream along with a marked increase in wind shear while the moisture contrast caused by a warmer than normal Gulf of Mexico led to abundant atmospheric instability. This pattern persisted throughout the entire month and, as a result, the trend of widespread, relentless tornadic weather that started at the end of April continued into May and only two of the 31 days in the month had no confirmed tornadoes. Additionally, this led to the Plains and Midwestern United States seeing abundance of tornadoes, which has become increasingly rare due to climate change shifting tornado alley eastward. This included EF4 tornadoes in Oklahoma and Iowa, as well as dozens of strong to intense tornadoes. Having been struck by another EF4 tornado in the previous month, it was the first time since 2013 that multiple violent tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma in the same year. By May 21, May had exceeded its average tornado count, making it the first time since 2019 that May was above average. It finished with 547 tornadoes and 27 tornadic fatalities were confirmed. It was the second most active May on record behind only 2003 (and the third most active month overall, behind that month and April 2011). In addition to the tornadoes, three derechos occurred during the month as well.
East Texas and Louisiana events are associated with the 2024 Houston derecho
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" /><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"></div>