2023 had 1269 preliminary confirmed tornadoes which is the 12th most on record (1950-2023) and greater than the 10-year average (1155). March 31 had the 3rd most tornadoes on record (138) and 44 strong tornadoes including 11 EF3 and 1 EF4 tornado. A busy summer had the greatest number of June to August tornadoes since 2008, the most July to September wind reports, and set monthly records for the most 2+ inch diameter hail in June and July. The September to December period was quiet with the fewest tornado counts since 1999. 2023 had 74 days of Enhanced (Level 3 of 5) risk, which is the most since Enhanced was added in fall 2014.
Additional monthly and yearly report statistics can be found here.
These unfiltered reports (duplicates removed) and fatalities are preliminary data collected from NWS LSRs. Final storm data will be published by NCEI. The total number of tornado LSRs (1423) differs from the preliminary number of confirmed tornadoes (1269) based on the latest available survey results.
2023 SPC Watches
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Total SPC Watches <
Tornado Watches
Severe Watches
>
Most Watches Issued (722) Since 2011
Top 5 Largest Watches
Rank
Date
Size (sq km)
Watch #
Top 5 Watch Count Days
Rank
Count
Date
Highest Daily Outlook Probability (2023)
Risk (out of 5)
# of Outlooks
Largest Risk Area
Jump to Day
General Statistics
353 days (97%) had thunder probabilities
271 days (74%) had severe weather probabilities
74 days (20%) had a maximum category of Enhanced (record most 14-'23)
There were 69 consecutive days with a Slight Risk from Jun 8 to Aug 16
No Moderate or High Risk Issued in May
Only the 2nd time in the history of SPC convective outlooks
There were 1400 severe weather reports on August 7. These reports came from multiple clusters of storms that formed and moved from the Southern Appalachians into the Carolinas and the central Appalachians to the Mid Atlantic. There was also a cluster of primarily hail reports in the central High Plains. Learn more about this event here.
Highest-Rated Tornado - EF4 (195 mph)
The strongest tornado of the year was in Rolling Fork, MS on March 24, 2023.