Colorful jet stream visualization over Earth's Western Hemisphere.

What is the Jet Stream?

The jet stream is a narrow band of strong winds in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere, and it blows from west to east and provides a corridor for storms to follow as they circumnavigate the globe. Jet streams form along the boundaries of warm and cold air, and the wiggles of the jet stream play a large part in the weather you experience.

el reno tornado

Remembering the El Reno Tornado of May 31, 2013

On May 31, 2013, a tornado struck El Reno, Oklahoma. This tornado was historic because it was the widest tornado and had some of the fastest ground wind speeds ever recorded by mobile radar – 296 mph. The El Reno tornado didn’t cause significant damage, as it passed through mainly rural areas around El Reno and west of Oklahoma City. However, the loss of life, including three experienced storm chasers’ deaths, shocked the meteorological community.