Tornadoes are most common to the right and ahead of the path of the storm center as it comes onshore. This type of tornado is most common along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, the Plains, and the Western States. Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up. Occasionally, two or more tornadoes may occur at the same time. Waterspouts are weak tornadoes that form over warm water.
Waterspouts are most common along the Gulf Coast and southeastern states.
In the western United States, they occur with cold late fall or late winter storms, during a time when you least expect tornado development. Waterspouts occasionally move inland becoming tornadoes causing damage and injuries. Before thunderstorms develop, a change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with increasing height creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising air within the thunderstorm updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm.