METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY
Severe weather (large hail, severe convective wind gusts, and tornadoes) tends to occur more often in certain locations. For example, severe
weather tends to be more common in the Great Plains of the United States due to this region being a battle ground between air masses
(the presence of wind shear, instability, high moisture and lifting are relatively common). Another common severe weather location
is the S.E. United States due to abundant moisture and instability in the warm season along with lifting and wind shear mechanisms. Not
all severe weather occurs in these severe weather prone regions though. Severe weather can occur anywhere that the ingredients come together
for severe weather. Places that tend to be too cold, too dry, away from the jet stream, near cold ocean waters or where lifting mechanism
are weak tend to not have as much severe weather. From time to time though, severe weather ingredients can come together in locations not
known for severe weather. Examples of where severe weather (especially large hail and tornadoes) is not as common are mountain regions,
locations at high latitudes, locations in proximity to cold ocean currents, in desert regions and in many tropical regions. These regions
can have other types of weather hazard threats though such as heavy snow, extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme drought, hurricanes, flooding
and avalanches. Under the right conditions though, severe weather can occur anywhere. Some locations experience severe weather on a common
basis while other locations rarely experience it.
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