Hurricane Milton didn’t just bring wind and surge—it delivered one of the most intense tornado outbreaks ever recorded from a tropical system. With 126 warnings and multiple photogenic tornadoes before landfall, this storm rewrote the playbook. We break down what made it so extreme.

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00:00 Intro & Milton’s tornado outbreak

02:05 Rapid intensification in the Gulf

04:10 Shear, dry air & storm structure

06:15 Instability and surface heating

08:20 Mid-level dry air & lapse rates

10:25 Mini supercells and tornado visibility

12:30 Comparing Milton to past outbreaks

Hurricane Milton was anything but typical. Before even making landfall in Florida on October 9, 2024, it unleashed one of the most prolific and visually stunning tornado outbreaks ever recorded from a tropical cyclone. With at least 39 confirmed tornadoes and 126 warnings issued in a single day, Milton forced forecasters and researchers to reexamine what hurricanes are capable of—especially when it comes to tornado production.

In this episode, we break down exactly what made the Milton outbreak so unique. It started with an unusually favorable thermodynamic environment: deep ocean heat, minimal early shear, and an exceptionally symmetric storm allowed Milton to rapidly intensify to sub-900 mb pressure—making it one of the strongest hurricanes in Gulf history. But as it approached Florida, increasing wind shear and dry air intrusion disrupted its core, shifting convection and setting the stage for something far more dangerous: a high-end tornado setup.

What followed was unlike most hurricane events. The atmosphere over Florida featured CAPE values of 1000–2000 J/kg—more than double the typical tropical cyclone setup—combined with unusually steep mid-level lapse rates and strong low-level shear. Even more unusual: parts of Florida saw sunshine and surface heating before storms initiated, further destabilizing the environment.

The result? Supercells with structure and tornadoes that looked like they came straight from the central Plains. Despite their small size, these storms produced clear, long-track, and in some cases, cyclic tornadoes. We explore how strong SRH, weak inflow, and mid-level dry air contributed to high visibility and rapid tornado cycling—leading to what looked like a Plains-style outbreak wrapped inside a tropical event.

Milton isn’t just a record-setting hurricane—it’s a case study that challenges our understanding of what tropical systems can do. Whether you're chasing, forecasting, or just fascinated by extreme weather, this is one you’ll want to study.

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