Tornado season by state
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records 1950 to 2026-06-30
Tornado season depends on the state. 12 states have their peak month by April (California, March; Hawaii, March; Illinois, April; Mississippi, April; and others); 9 peak in May, 17 in June and 10 in July.
By PlainHazard Editorial · Updated · How this was measured
Every state's peak month
| State | Peak month | Busiest two months | Share | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | March | Feb-Mar | 32% | 488 |
| Hawaii | March | Feb-Mar | 45% | 42 |
| Illinois | April | Apr-May | 40% | 3,647 |
| Mississippi | April | Mar-Apr | 38% | 3,532 |
| Alabama | April | Mar-Apr | 41% | 3,206 |
| Louisiana | April | Apr-May | 32% | 2,801 |
| Arkansas | April | Apr-May | 43% | 2,565 |
| Georgia | April | Mar-Apr | 39% | 2,356 |
| Tennessee | April | Apr-May | 44% | 1,704 |
| Kentucky | April | Apr-May | 43% | 1,497 |
| South Carolina | April | Apr-May | 32% | 1,319 |
| Virginia | April | Apr-May | 32% | 913 |
| Texas | May | Apr-May | 49% | 10,090 |
| Oklahoma | May | Apr-May | 63% | 5,054 |
| Kansas | May | May-Jun | 60% | 4,965 |
| Iowa | May | May-Jun | 49% | 3,501 |
| Missouri | May | Apr-May | 47% | 3,118 |
| North Carolina | May | Apr-May | 34% | 1,691 |
| New Mexico | May | May-Jun | 59% | 687 |
| Utah | May | Aug-Sep | 37% | 146 |
| Washington | May | Apr-May | 38% | 138 |
| Florida | June | Jun-Jul | 24% | 3,820 |
| Nebraska | June | May-Jun | 63% | 3,400 |
| Colorado | June | May-Jun | 61% | 2,445 |
| Minnesota | June | Jun-Jul | 55% | 2,433 |
| Indiana | June | May-Jun | 38% | 2,103 |
| South Dakota | June | May-Jun | 62% | 1,947 |
| Wisconsin | June | Jun-Jul | 49% | 1,820 |
| North Dakota | June | Jun-Jul | 68% | 1,799 |
| Ohio | June | May-Jun | 38% | 1,565 |
| Michigan | June | Jun-Jul | 38% | 1,291 |
| Wyoming | June | May-Jun | 65% | 765 |
| Maryland | June | Jun-Jul | 37% | 438 |
| Montana | June | Jun-Jul | 70% | 432 |
| Idaho | June | May-Jun | 43% | 224 |
| West Virginia | June | Jun-Jul | 48% | 191 |
| Oregon | June | May-Jun | 31% | 134 |
| Nevada | June | May-Jun | 44% | 97 |
| Pennsylvania | July | Jun-Jul | 41% | 1,091 |
| New York | July | Jul-Aug | 46% | 563 |
| Arizona | July | Jul-Aug | 38% | 306 |
| New Jersey | July | Jul-Aug | 43% | 207 |
| Massachusetts | July | Jul-Aug | 57% | 205 |
| Maine | July | Jul-Aug | 60% | 140 |
| Connecticut | July | Jul-Aug | 52% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | July | Jul-Aug | 66% | 112 |
| Delaware | July | Jul-Aug | 48% | 81 |
| Vermont | July | Jun-Jul | 57% | 53 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database. Search the record at NCEI.
How this was measured
Every tornado record (county segment) in the state since 1950, counted by the month it began. The peak month has the most records; the two-month window is the pair of consecutive months holding the largest share. States with fewer than 25 records are left out.
Sources
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026-06-30.
Limits
A tornado that crossed county lines counts once per county, which weights long-track tornadoes. Seasons shift within a state (the Gulf Coast has a second, autumn season in many years).