Warm Pacific May Have Led To Near-Record Tornado Month

The contiguous United States has seen a near-record number of tornadoes spawn this October -- and the reason may stem from an "unusual event" that occurred in the Pacific Ocean.

If it’s felt like October 2021 has seen an unusual amount of tornadoes across the nation, it’s because it has.

As of Oct. 20, the U.S. had seen 85 tornadoes in the month, placing it in the top 10 Octobers with the highest number of tornadoes since 1950.

Since that date, AccuWeather meteorologists estimate that at least a dozen tornadoes have been reported, bringing the total close to 100.

The year 2018 holds the record with the highest number of confirmed tornadoes in October at 123, followed by 117 in October of 2001.