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Here's why the area around Denver International Airport gets hit with so many tornadoes

Another tornado touched down near DIA on Tuesday, and it might have you wondering why there are so many tornadoes in that area.

DENVER — It happened again on Tuesday afternoon.

A landspout tornado touched down near Denver International Airport on Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m., and the twister was clearly visible from the airport.

The tornado lasted only a few minutes before dissipating, and it didn't get that close to the airport. 

Credit: Matt Piechota
Tornado near Keenesburg and Denver's airport, Colo., on April 25, 2023.

But, Tuesday's tornado was just the latest for what just might be America's most tornado-prone major airport.

Based on statistics and data from the Tornado History Project, DIA has seen 26 tornadoes on or within five miles of the airport since 1975, including Sunday's. That's likely the most for any major American airport in that timespan.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport has seen 19 tornadoes in that same timeframe, ahead of Oklahoma City (15), Tulsa (8), and Wichita (8), among others.

Credit: KUSA

DIA sits, of course, on the east side of the metro area, about 25 miles northeast of Downtown Denver. That puts DIA in an exceptionally tornado-prone area, due to converging winds from the so-called Denver Cyclone.

Southeasterly winds often meet westerly winds around the airport, creating a natural area of spin on the east of the metro area. This is known as the Denver Cyclone, or more specifically, the Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone.

Credit: KUSA

But if DIA's propensity for tornadoes makes you nervous, it shouldn't. For starters, it's still very rare to get a tornado at or near the airport, even if it's more likely than at other major American airports.

Also, the types of tornadoes that tend to impact the area are known as landspout tornadoes. They're usually weaker and shorter-lived than regular tornadoes, and no tornado at or near DIA has caused an injury or fatality since the airport opened in 1995.

That's not to say discount any tornado – a tornado is still a tornado, after all – but DIA's tornadoes are far less likely to cause serious damage or injury than 'regular' tornadoes.

In the meantime, you can just add DIA's apparent tornado magnetism to the lengthy list of DIA-related conspiracy theories.

RELATED: Tornado warning canceled after landspout spotted near DIA

RELATED: Colorado's first tornado of the season was partially invisible

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