Last night while doing one of my other weather reviews. I got a request to last year's weather events, so I decided I would do just that. 2023 was a wild year concerning meteorology.

The La Nina which had been active from 2020 faded by March 2023. El Nino rapidly developed. In fact, the 2023 El Nino turned into a strong one. El Nino is the opposite of La Nina. El Nino occurs when water temperatures in the ENSO region (Equatorial Waters of the Pacific) are warmer than 0.5°C above average for at least 5 months. 2023's El Nino had water temperatures 1.9°C above average. Thus it is considered a strong El Nino.

Here are some of the year's notable weather events.

January 2nd-4th 2023- A Tornado outbreak occurred in the southern states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. A total of 58 tornadoes occurred. The same storm system produced flooding in Arkansas as some places in Arkansas got 6 inches of rain. Farther North the same storm system produced ice and snow in the Upper Midwest. St. Paul Minnesota received 15 inches of snow

January 12th 2023- Another Tornado outbreak impacted the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. This outbreak produced a lot of nighttime tornadoes. Overall 9 people lost their lives, over $700 million was done in damages, and 41 tornadoes were confirmed.

January 17th 2023- A strong tornado touched down in Rome Italy causing severe damage.

January 25th 2023- A cluster of severe storms along the Gulf Coast produces a total of 15 tornadoes along the Louisiana coastline, Mississippi coastline, Alabama Coastline, and the Panhandle of Florida.

February 1 2023- A storm complex produces severe weather in Germany. Several thunderstorms produced damaging winds, flooding rains and even a few tornadoes.

February 8 2023- Severe Thunderstorms developed in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. A total of 9 tornadoes occur and several damaging winds from thunderstorms.

February 22nd 2023-A snowstorm impacts South Dakota and Iowa causing Blizzard Conditions. In southeast South Dakota some locations had 15-21 inches of snow. Iowa saw 5-12 inches of snow. Winds guested up to 70 mph in some spots causing whiteout conditions.

February 24th-27th- A storm complex produced a line of severe storms. The line intensified into a Derecho. A type of squall line were the thunderstorms produce hurricane force winds. The Derecho mainly impacted the Lower Midwest and Southern United States. Some of the thunderstorms produced 90 mph straight line winds. The same Derecho also produced 30 tornadoes. Overall, 15 people died.

March 1st-3rd 2023-A storm complex impacted the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, North and South Carolina. This event caused flooding in some states. But it also caused a severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak. Several thunderstorms produced damaging winds 60-70 mph. A total of 35 tornadoes were produced and 22 people were killed in the storms.

March 22nd-23rd 2023 A slow moving storm system produced flooding rains in the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. In California some locations had up to 16 inches of rain, Nevada had 5-7 inches of rain, Arizona and Utah had 3-6 inches of rain. In the Arizona Mountains up to 20 inches of snow fell leading to flooding. Overall, $4.5 Billion dollars of damage was done and 22 people died.

March 25th 2023- Another tornado outbreak struck the Southern United States producing 33 tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds 60-70 mph. A total of 23 people perished and close to $2 Billion dollars worth of damage.

March 31st-April 2nd 2023- A large tornado outbreak occurred in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. This event produced 147 tornadoes, with 44 of those being EF2 or higher types. In Upper Michigan the storm system produced nearly 2 feet of snow. Flooding occurred in Wisconsin. Overall 31 people died and $5.4 billion was done in damages.

April 3rd-5th 2023 A blizzard impacted the high plains of Wyoming and Western South Dakota. In Southwest South Dakota some places received 2 feet of snow. Most places saw 9-18 inches of snow. Also winds guested up to 70 mph producing whiteout conditions.

April 5th 2023- The same storm system that produced the Wyoming and South Dakota Blizzard also caused a tornado outbreak in the Midwest and parts of the South. Overall 27 tornadoes occurred.

April 19th-20th- A tornado outbreak occurs in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas producing 32 tornadoes. Close to $2 Billion dollars worht of damage is done.

May 10th-12th 2023- A severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak occurs in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. 94 tornadoes occurred and over $2 billion dollars worth of damage is done.

June 14th-19th- A stalled frontal system causes large hail, flooding and tornadoes in the states of Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. 88 tornadoes are confirmed, large spread wind damage, widespread hail damage, and floods. Damage was $3.5 Billion.

June 20th-26th- A slow moving storm system produces 113 tornadoes in the United States and Canada. Canadian Provinces of Manitoba and Ontario are hit hard. The US states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are hit hard as well.

August 4th-8th- A storm complex produces large hail, damaging winds up to 70 mph and tornadoes. One of the worst tornadoes occurred in Knoxville TN this tornado did millions worth of damage. Another strong tornado did millions of damage in Colorado. Overall 54 tornadoes occurred, and $1.6 Billion was done in damages.

Late August 2023-Hurricane Idalia, which had peaked as a 130 mph category 4 hurricanes. Makes landfall in a rural area of Florida as a 125 mph category 3 hurricane. 10 deaths occurred and $3.6 Billion of damage is done.

September 23rd 2023- Tropical Storm Ophelia causes coastal flooding in North Carolina. The floods cause $450 million in damages.

October 2023- Parts of the South mainly Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia start suffering from a terrible drought due to little rainfall in September and October. Fires break out causing millions in damage.

October 25th 2023- A winter storm impcats Central Montana producing 10 inches of snow and very chily temperatures

November 23rd 2023- A winter Storm impacts Montana and Wyoming. Casper Wyoming receives 10 inches of snow. Other places had 6-8 inches of snow. Winds though caused white out conditions as winds guested up to 50 mph.

November 30th 2023- The Atlantic Hurricane Season comes to an end. Despite an El Nino 20 named storms developed, 7 became hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. One reason was water temperatures were way above average.

December 25th 2023- A Blizzard impacts Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota some places received 11-18 inches of snow. In Goodland Kansas 0.4 inches of ice fell before the snow. The bigger story was the winds as 60 mph winds occurred in all the states I mentioned.

2023 was full of weather events. The South was hit hard early in the year with severe weather outbreaks. One reason for the outbreaks was La Nina was transitioning into El Nino. This created instability and an active storm track. Also these places had winter temperatures running 4-7 degrees above average. Most of the 2023 hurricanes and tropical storms stayed out to sea. Later in the year blizzards impacted many states. Indeed 2023 was another wild year especially in the United States

I always hate getting storms in May, like I mean, why is there so many storms in May? I'm always getting storms around my birthday, and it get scared during those storms. Is there some kinda of weird thing that happens on May 10th-12th?

Dauntez: There are a lot of storms in May for several reasons. First temperatures are warmer in May for most places in the United States the extra heat helps storms maintain their intensity. Second, May you often have a storm track across several regions of the country, South, Midwest and the High Plains. Although you don't have so much at the surface storm systems can still have cold air in the atmosphere. Third, May is when a lot of places see the return of moisture flow.

To have severe weather you need the following ingredients warm air colliding with cooler air. This can be at the surface or in the atmosphere. Second, you need moisture. Third you need wind energy. A lot of these ingredients come together in May for 2/3rd of the United States.

Thus, that is why May and June there are a lot of storms.

Regions that you can expect to find Severe Storms in

January- Mostly Gulf Coast sometimes interior California

February- Southern parts of the United States.

March- Southern Parts of the US also spreading into Midwest

April Southern and Midwest parts as well as Mid-Atlantic

May- South, Midwest, High Plains, Mid-Atlantic Northeast

June- Midwest, High Plains and sometimes Rocky Mountains and Florida. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

July mostly the high plains and upper Midwest. Also Florida

August- High Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Florida

September- Florida and Gulf Coast due to land falling tropical systems

October- South, and parts of the Midwest

November- South and lower Midwest

December- Gulf Coast

Hope this helps