If History Repeats, Illinois Could Be in Tornado Trouble in 2024

I am not an alarmist and it's not exactly breaking news anyway that Illinois sees a lot of tornadoes every Spring. However, it might bear watching 2024 in particular as past weather patterns might indicate the Land of Lincoln might be in the danger zone for twister development.

This new forecast for tornado season isn't from some fringe YouTube channel with some weather-know-it-all wanna be. It comes from USA Today which features a meteorologist from Accuweather.

While I would highly advise you watch exactly what he has to say since he's infinitely smarter than I am, I'll try to summarize. When looking at the 2024 storm season, they compared similar weather patterns in the past that are identical to the main factors present this year. What he's saying is that in the past, Illinois has been hit hard by strong tornadoes. If factors like El Nino and La Nina are any indication, 2024 could be rowdy for Illinois. 

He noted that he expects Illinois to start seeing stronger storm development in late April and early May which is not unexpected. Once the thunderstorms get their energy started during the summer months, Illinois could be an active place for spinning storms.

Here's something else to think about that adds extra credibility to the potential for strong tornadoes in Illinois in 2024. The University of Illinois Extension Service mentions that many believe "tornado alley" now does include the Land of Lincoln.

My advice? Prepare for the worst storm season in Illinois and hope for better. It's inevitable that the strong thunderstorms capable of dropping tornadoes will arrive. Just a matter of when.