Examining Spring Weather Threats in the United States

3/15/2022 (Permalink)

Examining Spring Weather Threats in the United States

According to World Atlas, the U.S. is the third-largest country in the world, behind Russia and Canada, in terms of total land area (though China is bigger if you don’t include all of the United States’ outlying regions).

With such a large region under one cover, seasonal weather is not uniform—different parts of the nation face varying weather patterns, and hence variable degrees of weather threats.

As spring approaches and warm and cold air masses meet throughout the country, let’s take a look at the many weather events that may be anticipated in a few major geographical regions, and also, what we need to be aware of here in Kansas.

The Pacific Northwest’s spring months are prone to severe rain, which may result in floods and water damage. Higher altitudes will continue to have snow, and the melting and runoff from that will create issues of its own.

Winter’s chill lasts the longest in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, and chilly weather will persist there throughout the season. Residents from Maine to the Dakotas can anticipate very cold weather and the threat of snowstorms and blizzards until late spring or possibly early summer.

On the other hand, the southern West Coast will have to watch out for excessive heat waves that could endanger lives and property, while the South Pacific, including Hawaii, will be on the lookout for potential tsunamis caused by tectonic action.

The central United States, from Iowa to Texas, including Kansas, will need to be vigilant for windstorms, derechos, and the threat of wildfires, which can readily spread when winds are strong and seasons are dry. And, of course, a large portion of this territory is Tornado Alley, an area with a high frequency of tornadoes.

Due to our state’s location, the mixing of cold, dry air from the north with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, violent thunderstorms are frequent in Kansas. Several of these thunderstorms have the potential to generate large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes. Between 1991 and 2010, the state averaged slightly under 100 tornadoes per year, which sometimes caused considerable damage and loss of life.

Finally, the Southeast may be subjected to a variety of extreme weather events, ranging from tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in landlocked states to hazardous rip currents and hurricanes later in the spring.

Regardless of where you reside in the United States, the possibility of severe weather exists. Yours may differ from that of a relative a few states away, but it never hurts to be aware and prepared.

If extreme weather leaves you with damage from water, fire or other elements, help is a click away. Contact SERVPRO for fast, expert recovery.