Why Hurricanes And Tropical Storms Spawn Tornadoes

Let’s dig deeper to explore why tropical cyclone tornadoes can happen. Most explanations mention “frictional effects,” so I will start there. The Weather Guys blog is a legendary and informative platform administered by my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Steve Ackerman (retired), professors at the University of Wisconsin. They write, “When a hurricane makes landfall, the winds near the ground slow down, while the upper-level winds keep their momentum. This change in the wind speed — and sometimes direction — with height is called wind shear.” There’s more to the story, however.