A series of maps shows where confirmed tornadoes have struck the U.S. in 2026, as Illinois heads toward a record-breaking year of tornado activity. Illinois has recorded 203 confirmed tornadoes in 2026, more than triple its 20-year annual average. The maps below, based on monthly data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), show how tornado activity has spread across the country throughout the year.
January averages 39 tornadoes across the U.S., with tornado activity typically concentrated along the Gulf Coast caused by the interaction of warm, moist air from the Gulf and cold air masses moving into the Deep South. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Storm Prediction Center recorded 23 preliminary tornado reports in January 2026, 59 percent of the 1991–2020 average. Tornadoes were reported on five days during the month.
February averages about 36 tornadoes in the U.S., with activity typically concentrated along the Gulf Coast. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center recorded 52 preliminary tornado reports in February 2026, 44 percent above the 1991–2020 average and the fourth consecutive February with above-average activity. Much of the first half of the month was quiet, while activity increased along the Gulf Coast and parts of the Midwest during the second half, producing four tornado days.
March brought a significant increase in tornado activity across the central United States. There were 12 confirmed tornadoes across the Chicago and Northern Indiana areas on March 10, as reported by the National Weather Service. March averages about 80 tornadoes in the U.S., with activity typically concentrated across the southern Plains and Gulf Coast states.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center recorded 202 preliminary tornado reports in March 2026—about 2.5 times the 1991–2020 average and the fourth-highest March total on record. More than 85 percent of the month's reports occurred on four days: March 6, 10, 11 and 15. April typically ranks as the third-most active month for tornadoes in the U.S., with a 1991–2020 average of 182.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center recorded 304 preliminary tornado reports in April 2026, about 67 percent above average and the fourth-highest April total on record. Activity was concentrated along a corridor from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, with more than 90 percent of reports occurring across 10 days. May is typically the peak month for tornado activity in the U.S., with a 1991–2020 average of 268 tornadoes.
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