A seemingly random derecho- along with a few tornadoes- tore through the Midwest earlier this week, but was it even random at all? As always, there are answers to that in the observed climate patterns. Iowa’s State Climatologist Dr. Justin Glisan said a heat dome effect is what spurred the rapid development of a derecho.
Of those few tornadoes, one F1 tornado dashed through the urban Des Moines area. Glisan said that, due to the speed of the storm, there wasn’t a very early warning, but we were thankfully able to avoid fatalities and injuries.
It’s not often that you see tornadoes touch down in urban areas like that, but Glisan said it’s just as likely as anywhere else.
Glisan added that the crops were very lucky to avoid a lot of damage, because we’ve seen derechos in the past that have decimated our corn and soybeans.
For more information, visit iowaagriculture.gov/climatology-bureau.
