[ 2 1 s t c e n t u r y s k i l l s l i b r a r y ]
18
and pushes the warm air upward. Soon, thunderheads
develop along the front. Some of those thunderheads
produce supercells, which can produce tornadoes.
Sometimes, a line of thunderstorms called a squall
line develops along the front. Squall lines can be more
than 100 miles (161 km) long. The combination of air
masses along a squall line often produces tornadoes. The
air masses over Tornado Alley collide in regular patterns.
No other place on Earth has these weather patterns.
Tornado Alley Cl imate
About one-third of
all tornadoes in the
United States happen
in Tornado Alley. In this
region, three types of air
masses often meet and
create thunderstorms.
Sometimes, the
thunderstorms cause
tornadoes to form.
In Tornado Alley, different air masses meet
and form fronts.
Tornado Alley
cool, dry air
warm, dry air
warm, wet air
