What is the longest continuous tornado track in recorded history?
The track of the Tri-State Tornado is officially 219 miles, and stands as the record. However, the concept of tornado families was not known in 1925, and this may have been a family of several tornadoes. • How fast do tornadoes move? The few tornadoes that have been timed seem to average about 35 miles per hour, but every year some are seen to stand still and others are clocked at 60 miles per hour. • Do they ever occur in the mountains? Tornadoes have occurred in every kind of terrain. In 1987, one may have crossed the Continental Divide in Wyoming’s Teton Wilderness. They are rare in mountainous areas, but a well developed tornado is probably not affected by the shape of the land underneath it. • How big in diameter do tornadoes get? Tornadoes have been known to range in diameter from 3 feet to two miles. The last one recorded to be 2 miles wide was seen near the town of Gruver in the Texas Panhandle on June 9, 1971. These giant ones, however , generally don’t have high wind speeds.
