Most tornadoes produce strong winds at the surface while the visible funnel is still above the ground, so it is difficult to discern the difference between a funnel cloud and a tornado from a distance. Temperature tends to decrease and moisture content to increase in the immediate vicinity of a tornado.

Tornadogenesis is most likely at the interface of the updraft and rear flank downdraft, and requires a balance between the outflow and inflow. The similar TORRO scale ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes. The parent supercell that produced the two EF4 tornadoes, and eleven tornadoes in total, later became known as the "Quad-State supercell".It said lightning strikes were possible and weather conditions had the potential to cause damage to buildings. Tornadic storms do not contain more lightning than other storms and some tornadic cells never produce lightning at all. In addition to winds, tornadoes also exhibit changes in atmospheric variables such as temperature, moisture, and atmospheric pressure. These devices measure the velocity and radial direction (towards or away from the radar) of the winds within a storm, and so can spot evidence of rotation in storms from over 160km (100 miles) away.

Spotters usually are trained by the NWS on behalf of their respective organizations, and report to them. May generally has more tornadoes than any other month, but April's twisters are sometimes more violent. Two industrial buildings were destroyed at the west edge of town, and many trees and power poles were snapped.The low pressured atmosphere at the base of the tornado is essential to the endurance of the system. The most extreme impacts resulted from two long-track supercell thunderstorms that produced families of strong tornadoes. Dust kicked up by the winds of the parent thunderstorm, heavy rain and hail, and the darkness of night are all factors that can reduce the visibility of tornadoes.

One home had roofing and soffit blown off, a second home had many shingles removed, and a third home had roofing blown off a back porch.Main article: Multiple-vortex tornado A multiple-vortex tornado outside Dallas, Texas on April 2, 1957.