2014 Strongest-Rated Tornado Activity in U.S. Off To Record Slow Start

Despite recent tornadoes in Missouri, Texas, Mississippi and North Carolina, among other states, we have set a new record for a lack of stronger tornadoes-to-date in 2014.

Through April 6, not one tornado of EF3 intensity or stronger was observed anywhere in the U.S., the latest wait for the first such tornado in any year on record dating to 1950, according to the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

March 31, 2002 was the previous record latest date of the season's first F3 or EF3 tornado. The Enhanced-Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita Scale on Feb. 1, 2007.

According to statistics compiled by severe weather expert, Dr. Greg Forbes (Twitter | Facebook), the period from January through March averaged between eight and nine tornadoes of F/EF3+ intensity in the period 1950-2012.

While we have had several episodes of severe thunderstorms in 2014, most recently on April 3, we've been fortunate enough to avoid the volatile combination of low-level wind shear (rapidly changing wind direction and speed with height) and strong instability (very warm and humid air near the surface topped by cold, dry air aloft) known to spawn large, destructive tornado outbreaks. 

As you can see in the pie chart below, while stronger tornadoes (EF3+) are more rare, they make up a large majority of tornado fatalities each year. 

http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-central/record-latest-first-ef3-tornado-2014-20140408