NWA Weather (Fayetteville, Rogers, Benton: home, tornado, live in)

[GetmeoutofAR]

I thought I'd start a new thread pertaining to weather in the Ozarks. Please give your observations and questions as I am not a meteorologist but do consider myself a mini-expert in the subject. I'll start out by saying that my most important observation is that many types of storms break up over the Boston mountains. Especially severe weather events. Storms do not like interference, they like flat ground and things as small as trees can break them apart. It's just like when hurricanes hit mountainous areas they disentigrate. It is the same way in NWA. Northwest Arkansas' weather is primarily influenced from the great plains. NWA is more closely connected with Kansas and Oklahoma and Missouri than with anywhere else. Even though it has high elevations etc. This is not an Appalacian climate. This is basically a moderated,interfered-with plains climate. This is especially comforting in severe weather season either in Mar-April-May and in Oct Nov. I can almost assure you that if you live in a higher terrain area that you will not get it by a tornado. Bottom line is this....weather patterns are not random happen-chance occurances there are natural paths they follow.

[bagelw]

I've always noticed that Rogers/Bentonville usually get the worst of the weather in NWA. There have been several instances when tornados where hitting Benton county but it wasn't even raining in Fayetteville. I've always assumed that the mountains in Fayetteville tend to break up the storm while most of Benton county is on a plateau. Ft Smith tends to get some pretty bad storms as well.

[GetmeoutofAR]

If you look at the 50 year tornado storm path you will find the Arkansas river valley full of tornados. And yes the tornado path in NW Arkansas runs through Siloam Springs, Centerton Etc again due to the flat land I've seen supercells break up many times when they hit Fayetteville and south

[alaskanmax]

How are Mountain Home and Flippin areas for tornados?

[GetmeoutofAR]

Originally Posted by alaskanmax

How are Mountain Home and Flippin areas for tornados?

Those areas would have about the same chance as most of northern AR for getting tornadoes, The flatter the more likely.

[Prefex]

Originally Posted by GetmeoutofAR

........ I can almost assure you that if you live in a higher terrain area that you will not get it by a tornado. Bottom line is this....weather patterns are not random happen-chance occurances there are natural paths they follow.

This is a very interesting concept and I was actually thinking about your question last night. I don't know the answer but I have a question that may be relevant: Has Fayetteville ever been hit by a tornado?

[GetmeoutofAR]

I'll have to look into that

[GetmeoutofAR]

On 5/4/1999, a category 3 (max. wind speeds 158-206 mph) tornado 8.1 miles away from the Fayetteville city center caused $100,000 in damages.

On 4/30/1954, a category 3 tornado 11.2 miles away from the city center injured one person and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages



so apparently close, but not on the city itself

[GetmeoutofAR]

also found out Tornados have been recorded 22 times in Washington County as opposed to 37 times in Benton County

[Prefex]

I would be surprised if someone has not done this before, but a topographical map with corresponding vortex landings might answer some questions. The probable outcome would be less tornado activity in hilly/mountainous areas.