Tornadoes occur in the United States during winter, including deadly outbreaks in the Southeast in January and February.

Is it true that tornadoes occur in the United States during winter, including deadly outbreaks in the Southeast in January and February?

Unclear. Peer-reviewed sources partially support the claim: they report that cold-season tornadic outbreaks occur regularly in the southeastern United States and that winter is one of the seasons with the highest share of deadly Southeast tornadoes, and one study notes increasingly favorable winter tornado conditions there. None of the placed items specifically documents deadly January or February Southeast outbreaks, so the claim is covered only in part.

Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 5 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Characteristics of Tornado Events and Warnings in the Southeastern United States. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1175/waf-d-18-0211.1

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Tornado Fatalities in the United States: 1880–2005. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1175/2007waf2007004.1

Differing Trends in United States and European Severe Thunderstorm Environments in a Warming Climate. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-20-0004.1

An Analysis of Cold Season Supercell Storms Using the Synthetic Dual-Doppler Technique. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1175/mwr-d-12-00035.1

Anticipating a Rare Event Utilizing Forecast Anomalies and a Situational Awareness Display: The Western U.S. Storms of 18–23 January 2010. (2013). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-11-00181.1