Prairie tornadoes: Research note

Abstract The frequency of tornadoes on the Canadian Prairies is a subject of much current debate. The author questions the traditional view that tornado frequency on the Prairies decreases westwards from southern Manitoba. A study of various sources of information on severe thunderstorm events on both sides of the 49th parallel leads to the conclusion that prairie tornadoes often are not isolated singular cases but rather are members of tornado outbreaks. Tornadoes in the northern Great Plains and Prairies are more frequent than has previously been thought, and are likely to be under‐reported compared with those of “tornado alley” in the United States. The Prairie Region can validly be regarded as an outlying section of the North American tornado belt.