Why do tornadoes form?
When Air Spins Wild
Why do tornadoes form?
A tornado is a spinning column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm cloud all the way down to touch the ground — and it's one of the wildest, most powerful things the atmosphere can make. But tornadoes don't just appear out of nowhere. They need a very specific recipe of ingredients, all coming together at exactly the right moment.
It starts with warm, moist air near the ground — the kind of heavy, sticky air you get on a hot summer day. This air is lighter than it feels, and it wants to rise. High above, there's cold, dry air that's much heavier and wants to sink. When these two layers meet, the atmosphere becomes unstable, like a tower of blocks stacked wrong, ready to topple.
