MISSOURI — If it seems like Missouri has already had an unusually high number of tornadoes this year, you are correct.
The state of Missouri has already seen double the yearly average of tornadoes only halfway through the year, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS shared on X that the state has had a very active weather season, with 43 tornadoes already accounted for so far. This number is two times more than the yearly average of 21.5 tornadoes while only half through 2025.
The majority of these tornadoes were rated EF-1 tornadoes with 86 to 110 mile-per-hour winds, making up 20 of the tornadoes experienced across the state.
EF-0 tornadoes with 65 to 85 mile per hour winds have been seen 10 times already in Missouri.
The state has also had nine EF-2 tornadoes with 111 to 135 miles per hour winds and three EF-3 tornadoes with 136 to 165 miles per hour winds.
Missouri has only had one tornado with an unknown tornado rating, leaving no damage to rate.
Compared to previous years, in 2024 the state had 47 tornadoes in total. The NWS reports other active years include 2006, when the state saw 75 tornadoes.
Why is Missouri seeing more tornadoes this year?
FOX 2 Severe Weather Specialist Chris Higgins said one big clue for this year’s active severe weather season can actually be found in the Pacific Ocean.
The possible cause: the slowly fading La Niña in the central Pacific Ocean.
The cold water associated with La Niña and a warmer-than-normal pocket further north up towards Alaska enhance the northern branch of the jet stream.
That branch of the jet stream is a key contributor to the wind energy needed for an active severe weather season across the Midwest.
That wind energy helps contribute to storm rotation, and rotating storms produce our most violent severe storms. The active jet stream has supplied a constant flow of triggers, which is why severe weather events have come at somewhat regular intervals since March.