are tornados predictable?

Answer 1

there are many advancements being made in the field of tornadic prediction, but its still very hard to predict. Meterologists can look for signs or traits of storms that usualy produce tornadoes and then issue a tornado warning or watch, but they cannot say for sure if that particular storm will or will not produce a tornado.

Answer 2

This is a very good question. But I really don't like the answers you have gotten so far so I thought I had better set the record straight. Tornadoes are not predictable in any scientific sense. In other words there is no set of time dependent differential equations which with observations both at the surface and through the atmosphere could be solved to predict the occurrence of a tornado. Having said that I can also say that the prediction of tornadoes is an art. You would not believe what the analysis of weather maps looks like when forecasters are looking for tornado genesis areas. These maps use to look as if a kindergartner was doing his coloring on them. First you need warm, moist, unstable air moving northward near the surface generally having started from over water. Next you need westerly winds aloft which are much stronger. These winds should also be associated with drier air. When and where these two air masses meet on the weather map is where tornadoes "may" form. Where forecasters see these conditions developing they issue tornado alert boxes which you have no doubt seen on TV. If and when a tornado develops in one of these boxes a tornado warning is issued by the Weather Service and warnings are issued to the public via TV and radio. Today Doppler radar which detects circulation patterns in and around radar echoes is another excellent way in which the tornado boxes can be monitored for thunderstorms which will generate a tornado. One of my good friends who has since past away was Dr. Ted Fujita, of the University of Chicago. His specialty was tornado research and he was the gentleman who devised the F scale for tornados. He and I did research together on tropical storms in the western north Pacific ocean when he visited Guam in the early 1970's. I hope this helps to explaine the complexities of this type of forecasting a little better for you.

Answer 3

Here is a helpful website about forecasting tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Forecasting


Tornadoes themselves are not predictable. The main reason for this is our observation system. We do not have enough resolution, or density of measurements, to observe even the storms that spawn tornadoes. We do understand some of the larger scale conditions that favor tornadoes, though. We look for instability, turning of the wind with height, moisture, and other factors. When it comes down to it, though, we can't tell when a tornado will form, and sometimes we don't even know if there is actually one on the ground during a tornado warning.

Answer 4

Yes a tornado is made by the hot and cold air coming from different directions. Thats called a tornado watch.

Answer 5

Meteorologists can predict storms that are favorable for producing tornadoes. However the tornadoes themselves are essentially not predictable.

Answer 6

Sometimes

Answer 7

most of the times yeah

Answer 8

they have been for many years now.

Answer 9

No.