150-mph Jet Stream a Key Factor in Wednesday's Tornado Outbreak

150-mph Jet Stream a Key Factor in Wednesday's Tornado Outbreak

[link to www.accuweather.com]

A 150-mph jet stream was one of the key players in why Wednesday's historical tornado outbreak in the South was so devastating. The persistent presence of a strong jet stream over the South is the main culprit in why this April has been such a terrible month for tornadoes.

It takes a very particular setup of "ingredients" for a rare event like Wednesday's to happen. What is even more rare is to have setups like this be so repetitious in April, with tornado outbreaks occurring about every few days and yielding nearly 900 reports of tornadoes for this month so far.

"In my 25 years as a meteorologist, this is the worst April I've ever seen," said AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity.

There are several major culprits behind Wednesday's tornado outbreak and the many others that have erupted this month:

150-mph jet stream winds and La Niña

La Niña is a phenomenon that occurs when water temperatures across the equatorial central and eastern Pacific Ocean are below normal. It has a significant influence on weather patterns across the globe.