Disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes bring out both the best and the worst in people. After any disaster, we hear stories of heroism where people risk and even sacrifice their own lives to save those of many others. But we also see incredible displays of stupidity blasted to the masses via the internet. People who bash disaster victims as well as those who threaten meteorologists for interrupting their precious television shows are among the most selfish, uncaring kind of fools there are.

This map shows the average date that each National Weather Service forecast office issues its first tornado warning every year, based on data from 1986-2013. It's pretty illustrative of how tornado climatology tends to work in the United States. The Deep South sees its first round of severe weather during the winter, and it radiates outwards as the atmosphere begins to warm up through the country.

A major severe weather outbreak is getting ready to begin this afternoon, including the risk for several intense (violent, long-track) tornadoes, hail larger than 3.00" in diameter, and damaging winds in excess of 70 MPH. Numerous tornado watches are already in effect.

The Storm Prediction Center has a large portion of the country under the risk for a severe weather outbreak tomorrow, including the threat for damaging winds, large hail, and even some tornadoes.

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the historic "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes that tore a path of destruction from Alabama to Michigan. The outbreak was the the most violent ever recorded — producing 7 F5s, 11 F4s, and 35 F3s, and killing over 300 people — and to this day remains the ultimate analog by which all tornado outbreaks are measured.

Today begins the second quarter of 2014. You made it through a long, hellish winter and the light at the end of the tunnel isn't from a snow plow for once. April is a beautiful time of the year. It brings warmer weather, flowers blooming, birds chirping, bees buzzing, and the atmosphere's most violent phenomenon: tornadoes.

GIS software company Esri released an incredible interactive tornado map, documenting every tornado reported in the United States between 1980 and 2012.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a tornado watch for parts of eastern Kansas, western Missouri, and extreme northeastern Oklahoma this afternoon in anticipation of the development of severe thunderstorms capable of producing a few tornadoes.

Doppler weather radar is one of the most useful tools available to track the weather in almost real time. Since the technology came into regular use in the 1950s, researchers have made incredible advances in the abilities of basic weather radar. Not only does weather radar track precipitation, but it can also detect bugs, bats, dust, road traffic, tornado debris, and even the setting sun.

The Weather Channel published an article on Saturday touting the fact that the recent cold weather suppressed this March's number of tornadoes to almost nothing, with just four tornadoes confirmed through March 20. While this is an interesting bit of information from a weather geek standpoint, and one I've seen many weather enthusiasts Tweet and write about lately, it's risky to make a big deal about "tornadoes at a record low!" this close to the climatological ramp-up of tornado season.

A strong area of low pressure developing over the Ohio Valley tonight doesn't only spell tribble for the winter fatigued from Chicago to Maine expecting as much as two feet of snow, but a powerful cold front encroaching on a warm, moist airmass over the Mid-Atlantic will help touch off a nasty line of thunderstorms that could be severe, including the potential for a weak tornado or two.