Checking the sky for rotation is a survival instinct for anyone living in the plains or the deep south. Today, Sunday, January 18, 2026, the atmospheric setup is looking a bit different than the typical spring chaos we’re used to seeing. If you’re asking where are the tornadoes today, the short answer is that the risk is remarkably low across the vast majority of the United States.
Nature is currently preoccupied with an arctic blast rather than supercells.
Right now, a massive cold continental air mass is shoving its way across the Plains and toward the East Coast. This is basically the opposite of "tornado fuel." To get those terrifying funnels, you usually need a juicy mix of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico clashing with cold, dry air. Today, the "warm" part of that equation is missing in action. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) out of Norman, Oklahoma, has officially noted that severe thunderstorms—the kind that spawn tornadoes—are not expected today.
Why the Tornado Threat Is Quiet Right Now
Weather is fickle, but physics is pretty rigid.
The jet stream is currently positioned in a way that’s pulling frigid air deep into the central and eastern U.S. instead of letting the Gulf moisture move north. Most of the country is dealing with "anafrontal stratiform precipitation." That’s just a fancy way of saying it’s a gray, rainy, or snowy mess, but the air is too stable for the big, rotating storms we worry about.
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Honestly, the only place even seeing a hint of a thunderstorm today is the southern tip of Florida. Even there, the experts at the National Weather Service are saying the "buoyancy" is negligible. Basically, the air doesn’t have enough "get up and go" to create the vertical growth needed for a tornado.
The Recent January Tornado Context
Just because today is quiet doesn’t mean January is a safe month. We’ve already seen some wild activity this year. Earlier this month, around January 8th and 9th, Oklahoma and Mississippi got hit with several confirmed tornadoes.
- Purcell, Oklahoma: An EF2 tornado caused significant roof damage and even flipped a semi-truck on I-35.
- Mississippi: We saw a string of weaker EF0 and EF1 tornadoes that snapped trees and damaged chicken houses in places like Jasper and Clarke Counties.
- International Activity: It’s been a weird year globally too, with tornadoes reported in Greece and Turkey earlier this month.
People often think of tornadoes as a "May thing," but as those residents in Oklahoma can tell you, the atmosphere doesn't own a calendar. A strong shortwave trough and enough "shear" (changing wind speeds with height) can drop a funnel in the middle of a snowstorm if the conditions align just right.
Where Are the Tornadoes Today and How to Stay Ready
Even when the SPC "Day 1 Outlook" is blank, you shouldn't just tune out. Weather can be a jerk. Small, localized circulations can sometimes happen in "marginal" setups that don't quite make the national headlines.
If you are in an area with active rain—like the Southeast today—it’s worth keeping a weather app handy just in case. The primary concern today isn't a 200-mph wedge tornado; it’s actually the "clipper" systems bringing snow squalls and blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes and the Midwest.
Understanding the Risk Levels
When you do see a risk on the map, it's usually categorized by the SPC. Here is how they actually think about it:
- Marginal (Level 1): Think of this as "heads up." Isolated severe storms, maybe a brief spin-up.
- Slight (Level 2): Scattered severe storms. This is when you start making sure your phone is charged.
- Enhanced (Level 3): This is getting serious. More persistent and widespread storms.
- Moderate (Level 4): A bad day. Long-lived, intense storms are likely.
- High (Level 5): The "batten down the hatches" level. This is reserved for major outbreaks.
Today, we are sitting at a big fat zero on this scale for almost everyone. That’s good news, especially considering the bitter cold that’s moving in.
Actionable Safety Steps
Since there is no immediate tornado threat today, use this "blue sky" time to do the boring stuff that saves lives when the sirens eventually do go off.
- Check your NOAA Weather Radio batteries. These things are literal lifesavers when cell towers go down or you're asleep.
- Identify your "safe spot." If you don’t have a basement, find the innermost room on the lowest floor. No windows. Put a pair of old sneakers in that room today. You don't want to be walking through debris in bare feet.
- Download a radar app. Don't just rely on the evening news. Apps like RadarScope or even the basic Weather.gov site give you the same data the pros use.
While the question of where are the tornadoes today results in a sigh of relief for most of the U.S., the weather is shifting toward a significant winter hazard. If you are in Michigan, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, watch out for those snow squalls. They can drop visibility to zero in seconds, which is just as dangerous as a weak tornado when you're driving 70 mph on the interstate.
Keep an eye on the local NWS office updates for your specific county. They are the ones who issue the actual warnings that matter to your front door. Stay warm, stay dry, and keep your weather alerts turned on.