On Tuesday, February 21st, a very rare February tornado struck part of Mercer County here in New Jersey. The tornado touched down at around 3:30 PM as a line of strong storms containing hail moved through the state. Tuesday’s tornado was only the fifth February tornado on record in the state. Previous years that contained a February tornado includes 1973 and 1999. Three of those four were EF-1 tornadoes, while one was an EF-2.
Meteorologists picked up on the clear rotation signatures, including a “hook echo,” and what is called a debris ball on radar when the tornado warning was issued for the area.
Tuesday’s tornado will go down in the books as the second EF-2 tornado the state has seen in the state of February. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado had top wind speeds of 110-115 MPH and a path width of 200 yards. The tornado was on the ground for an impressive 5.8 miles, starting in Lawrence Township and ending in West Windsor. The tornado caused extensive tree damage and caused property damage to homes, including roof damage.
On average, New Jersey sees 2 to 3 tornadoes per year.