Wunderground.com, 5/9/13- Dr. Jeff Masters
With just three tornadoes during the period May 1 - 7, 2013 has had the third-fewest U.S. tornadoes during the first week of May since record keeping began in 1950. The only year with fewer tornadoes during the first week of May were 1970 (zero) and 1952 (two.) During the ten year period 2003 - 2012, the U.S. averaged 73 tornadoes during the first week of May, with a high of 239 during May 1 - 7, 2003. The three May 2013 tornadoes have all been week EF-0 twisters, and none have hit the Midwest's tornado alley:
May 2: An EF-0 tornado with 70-mph winds hit Boca Raton, Florida, tossing lawn furniture around, downing a few trees and fences, and breaking one window. The tornado stayed on the ground for just four tenths of a mile and was only 50 yards wide; nobody was hurt.
May 4: An EF-0 tornado damaged barns and outbuildings near Elkton, Florida.
May 6: An EF-0 tornado with 50 mph winds passed through Bakersfield, California. The 25-yard wide tornado lasted two minutes and stayed on the ground for 1/4 mile. This tornado was not related to a supercell thunderstorm like most tornadoes are, but instead was a "landspout" tornado, caused by the interaction of the inflow into a thunderstorm with a ground-based swirling area of winds.
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