Why do tornadoes travel north and northeast, while a hurricane is able to travel northwest?

mochyn

while tornadoes generally travel north this is not always the case http://www.stormdisplay.com/tornadoes.asp Sep 19 03, 7:43 PM

lothruin

I've noticed that the "typical" activity of tornadoes is defined more as what they do in the plains states than what is inherint in a tornado. Of course, this may be because the plains states in the US experience more tornadoes yearly than any other place on earth, and certainly describe what is typical for a tornado in the US. Tornadoes in this (MY) part of the USA generally travel in a north/northeasterly direction because of the storms that spawn them. The warm, moist air from the gulf meets the cool, dry air from Canada, and you add in a dry breeze from the Rockies, and poof! Thunderstorms. These usually stretch in a moving band bowing from Texas to the great lakes. Due to the high pressure of the warm air from the south and the easterly winds sweeping off the Rockies, plus the rotation they give the storm, these storms will usually move north/northeast. Of course, tornadoes are eratic and cannot be counted on to follow this "rule". Hurricanes are steered by similar air currents, but also by pressure generated by the storm itself. These currents travel in slightly different directions to those typical of the plains states, explaning the difference between hurricanes and tornadoes. Sep 19 03, 8:19 PM

tatertruck

Tornadoes follow large thunderstorms which generally travel in a north or northeast pattern because of something called an upper level jet stream. An upper level jet stream is a movement of air that travels from west to east. Since hurricanes generally form south of the US, they have their own upper level jet stream and follow the air mass from east to west. May 14 08, 5:04 PM

Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

Who wrote this: "I travel for travel's sake?" Bromine molecules travel at about 200m/s in a vacuum. However, inside a tube of air, it take several minutes to travel even 40 cm. Why? Is time travel theoretically possible? Who said or wrote 'If you travel as much as we do ,you appreciate how much more comfortable aircraft have become.Unless you travel in economy class,which sounds ghastly'?

1 Texas Travel This quiz will deal with travelling within the state of Texas. This quiz will deal with Interstates, US highways, and state highways. Texas Difficult 10 Q dg_dave Nov 30 04 999 plays 2 Time Travel Time travel is one of the most popular fantasy subjects for TV, movies, etc. Here's a quiz on the topic. Something in Common Tough 10 Q robert362 Aug 15 02 2961 plays 3 Travel Books So many places, so little cash. Save yourself the airfare and read the book instead. A quiz on some travel books. Specific Subjects & Themes Tough 10 Q quogequox Mar 20 04 177 plays