The Tonganoxie Split

[gblowfish]

I was talking to one of my customers today that lives in Valley Center, KS outside Wichita. He was telling me most of the heavy storms that head that way split, and the bad stuff either goes just North, or swings around to the south down by Andover.

West of KC there's a phenomenon I've been aware of since I was a kid called the "Tonganoxie Split." Same kind of deal. When a bad line of storms approaches KC, it tends to split in two, with the really bad stuff going just north or just south of the Metro.

Have you heard of that term, and what do you think? Is it a real thing? I believe it is!

https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/...s_radar_image/

[lawrenceRaider]

The lay of the land can absolutely influence how storms track.

[Mr. Kotter]

We have a similar phenomenon that most attribute to the geography of eastern SD and extending into western MN...it's called "Buffalo Ridge"... and, yes, it seems pretty real most of the time.

https://www.keloland.com/weather/how...n-our-weather/

[Prison Bitch]

I’d heard KC avoids tornadoes largely because of all the buildings which prevent surface winds from gaining speed. That’s prob apocryphal but I’ve heard that

[threebag]

I have always heard that rivers and waterways contribute to paths tornados take. Don’t know if it’s true or not but seems to work around my area.

[Boiled Chicken]

Originally Posted by threebag02

I have always heard that rivers and waterways contribute to paths tornados take. Don’t know if it’s true or not but seems to work around my area.

Same…but, no

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/myths.htm

The Osage Indians, native to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri passed on tornado legends to the early settlers. One such legend has it that tornadoes will not strike between two rivers, near the point where the rivers join. In the past 150 years, this idea may have given a false sense of security to some people who thereby failed to take shelter. They may not have lived to help debunk the myth. One by one, the myths that particular towns are protected have fallen by the wayside.

Emporia, Kansas, for instance, had sat “protected” between the Cottonwood and Neosho Rivers, in native Osage territory, for over a century. Emporia was free of damaging tornadoes until June 8, 1974 when a tornado killed six people and destroyed $20,000,000 worth of property on the northwest side of town. Another tornado did $6,000,000 in damage along the west side of Emporia on June 7, 1990. Part of the path of the 1974 tornado was also the site of a deadly twister on September 29, 1881, but the area was farmland then.

[Fishpicker]

Originally Posted by threebag02

I have always heard that rivers and waterways contribute to paths tornados take. Don’t know if it’s true or not but seems to work around my area.

this is true... Junction City is very tornado resistant. So is Fort Riley. they're both built very close to river junctions (Kansas R./Smoky Hill R.) Manhattan has some of that advantage too. it is somewhat protected by the Kansas R./Big Blue R. junction.

they are not tornado proof though. a tornado coming from the northwest *could* **** up any of those locations.

[Simply Red]

my Dad said the Native American Indian community around Carthage used to claim a tornado would never hit the town because; something about how the town was basically encapsulated by rivers and (I guess) the belief was that a tornado couldn't cross the rivers? No idea - I just remember hearing that.

[jallmon]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

my Dad said the Native American Indian community around Carthage used to claim a tornado would never hit the town because; something about how the town was basically encapsulated by rivers and (I guess) the belief was that a tornado couldn't cross the rivers? No idea - I just remember hearing that.

I was raised in Parsons, KS. The Native American leaders in the 1800s told the settlers that tornadoes wouldn't go into the area where the town is now located. No tornado hit there until the April 2000 one did. Severely. All the time growing up, they would just miss the town on both North and South sides.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

my Dad said the Native American Indian community around Carthage used to claim a tornado would never hit the town because; something about how the town was basically encapsulated by rivers and (I guess) the belief was that a tornado couldn't cross the rivers? No idea - I just remember hearing that.

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/loc...early%20Monday.

[KC_Lee]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

I was talking to one of my customers today that lives in Valley Center, KS outside Wichita. He was telling me most of the heavy storms that head that way split, and the bad stuff either goes just North, or swings around to the south down by Andover.

West of KC there's a phenomenon I've been aware of since I was a kid called the "Tonganoxie Split." Same kind of deal. When a bad line of storms approaches KC, it tends to split in two, with the really bad stuff going just north or just south of the Metro.

Have you heard of that term, and what do you think? Is it a real thing? I believe it is!

https://www.reddit.com/r/kansascity/...s_radar_image/

I've heard the term "Tonganoxie Split" in relation to weather and in relation to harlots plying their trade behind the Casey's so take your pick.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by KC_Lee

I've heard the term "Tonganoxie Split" in relation to weather and in relation to harlots plying their trade behind the Casey's so take your pick.

[Monty]

Most definitely heard of it from my time in Lawrence. We always thought it was the river that caused, but really have no idea.

We experienced the same in Frisco, TX. The prevailing thought is that the hot concrete caused the split.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by Monty

Most definitely heard of it from my time in Lawrence. We always thought it was the river that caused, but really have no idea.

We experienced the same in Frisco, TX. The prevailing thought is that the hot concrete caused the split.

The heat off the concrete would make the storm intensify

[golfindude]

Honey Creek Valley on my way to work, usually seems to told a slight weather change. Like if it's raining, it will turn to snow in the Valley OR visa versa. Tornados have only caused damage on either side of the valley. Maybe just a coincidence but the rain/snow thing happens regularity.