Dear Tom,
I have been told downtown Chicago will never experience tornado because the many skyscrapers would break up the wind field that causes a tornado, but recent episode about tornadoes the History Channel suggested could happen. Which is correct?
Steve
Dear Steve,
The notion that downtown Chicago is tornado-proof is a myth that just won’t go away, but it should. National Weather Service tornado expert Brian Smith explains that a tornado forms at the core of a wind circulation, known as a mesocyclone, ranging from about two to six miles in diameter. Air within that circulation spirals inward toward the tornado.
The Loop’s skyscrapers might disrupt a weak tornado (F0, F1 or F2 on the Fujita scale), but powerful F3, F4 or F5 tornado would blast right through the downtown area.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
