In the "About Us" section you will see what this station is about and also find information about our host Tornado Tim. To learn more about storms, there is a wealth of information contained in Tornado Tim's other websites found at Tornadochaser.net and Tornadochaser.com 

How does a tornado form?  There is still much we don't know about tornadoes, but this gives you a good idea of how they might form under these conditions. Warm moist air shoots upward meeting colder, dryer air.  Warm moist air is lighter than the cold dry air making for a strong updraft within the thunderstorm. As the warm moist air rises, it may meet varying wind directions at different altitudes. Read all about wind shear here (Pictures included)

If these varying winds are staggered in just the right manner with sufficient speed, they will act on the upward rising air, spinning it like a top.   This would be similar  to spinning a pencil held between your hands with your palms facing each other, moving your hands in opposite directions. The storm will begin to show visible rotation, often forming a wall cloud. Inside the storm these spinning winds can begin the formation of a tornado. On the outside of the thunderstorm rotation might be visible as in this photo and here. Only about 30 percent of mesocyclones actually produce a tornado, but about 95 percent produce severe weather.  Most of our information about the inside of a tornado-generating thunderstorm comes from data gathered by Doppler radar.

Warning: Storm chasing exposes one to many weather hazards, such as lightning, dangerous roads, damaging winds, hail, and flying debris which puts the chaser's/spotters life at risk, particularly those who have little or no experience and/or storm structure education, and should only be done by trained persons.  You can be killed by participating in this kind of activity, so don't think it is all fun and games; it can be fatal if you make a mistake. The author(s) of these pages and the contents therein is (are) not responsible for any of your actions as a result of what you see here!