Tornado Alley
English
Tornado Alley is featured by the pink-colored area.
Etymology
tornado+alley. Coined in 1952 by U.S. Air Force meteorologists Ernest J. Fawbush and Robert C. Miller. From originally being defined as a long north-to-south strip (akin to an alleyway) of the Great Plains with a large amount of tornadic activity.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˌtɔː(ɹ)ˈneɪdəʊ ˈælɪ/
Proper noun
- (US, geography, meteorology) A region of the United States. Area located in the middle of the USA, where tornadoes are particularly frequent and intense.
Usage notes
Depending on the authority, Tornado Alley may extend into Canada, into the U.S. Midwest, and reach the Gulf of Mexico coast. For those versions that reach the Gulf coast, Dixie Alley is a subregion of Tornado Alley, instead of a separate region of tornadic activity. Similarly for those that reach the Midwest and Great Lakes, the Hoosier Alley is a subregion, instead of a separate region.
Derived terms
- Carolina Alley
- Dixie Alley
- Hoosier Alley
- South Alley
See also
- Hailstorm Alley
- Hurricane Alley
- Typhoon Alley
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