Snowfall, tornadoes, and teleconnections : a correlational study of weather patterns in the southeastern United States

Correlation tests were run on yearly snowfall and tornado activity data collected between water-years 1965/66 and 2010/11. Snowfall activity was evaluated using two separate measurements, which included snowfall days and daily snow depth. Tornado activity was measured through tornado days and total yearly tornado occurrences. Tornado days were defined as a 24-h period (0600-0600 UTC) during which either one or more tornadoes occurred within a chosen southern region boundary. Correlation tests revealed an absence of any mutual relationship between the snowfall and tornado activity. Three prominent teleconnections (ENSO, NAO, & AO), 6-month (Oct-Dec and Feb-Apr) and 3-month means (Oct-May) were also analyzed to reveal possible correlations with the tornado and snowfall activity. Significant negative correlations were found between ONI × tornado days; ONI × tornado totals; NAOI × snowfall days; NAOI × snow depth; AOI × snowfall days; and AOI × snow depth.