How often do tornadoes occur during December in Iowa, Illinois?

QUAD CITIES, Iowa/Ill. (KWQC) – Tornadoes causing destruction, injuries and deaths in Tennessee have dominated the national headlines over the last few days.

On Dec. 9, more than two dozen tornadoes were reported across the state (the actual account will likely be less than that when storm surveys are complete.

According to data between 1998 and 2022, Tennessee averages two tornadoes during the month of December.

The average number of tornadoes in December is similar in Iowa and Illinois.

Iowa averages three tornadoes per year, while Illinois averages two.

Just two years ago on Dec. 15, 2021, a tornado outbreak spawned 63 tornadoes across Iowa; the most tornadoes every in a single day in the state

Prior to 2021, only five tornadoes had been reported during the month of December in Iowa. Illinois has had 93 total tornadoes during December, according to records from 1950-2022.

The tornadoes in Tennessee last weekend and the tornado outbreak in Iowa two years ago serve as a reminder that tornadoes can happen any time of day, any day of the year.

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