Tornado Alley

[ tawr-ney-doh al-ee ]

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a North American zone where tornadoes occur more frequently than elsewhere on the continent: an unofficial and variable designation, Tornado Alley lies within a wide vertical swath of the central United States, from northern Texas into Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, often extending into other areas, including Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Canadian prairies:

   Living outside Tornado Alley is no guarantee you’ll never see a tornado—just ask the folks in any state in New England.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tornado Alley¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

"There has been an eastward shift in Tornado Alley? Is that due to climate change? Not clear to me."

From Salon

He and his crew filmed this summer’s tentpole in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley during the height of tornado season, bringing logistical difficulties and frequent delays due to weather.

From Los Angeles Times

Filming a summer tentpole in Oklahoma’s Tornado Alley during the height of tornado season brought with it a veritable storm — onscreen and off — of logistical difficulties, with frequent delays due to unpredictable weather.

From Los Angeles Times

The UK has its own UK's 'tornado alley' identified which is in an area between Reading and London.

From BBC

Scientists say that tornadoes seem to be occurring in greater “clusters” in recent years, and that the area of the country known as Tornado Alley, where most tornadoes occur, seems to be shifting eastward.

From New York Times