Tornadoes vary widely in how long they last on the ground. Most tornadoes have a typical lifespan of about 5 to 10 minutes, with many lasting less than 10 minutes overall

. Weaker tornadoes often last only a few minutes, sometimes just seconds, while stronger tornadoes tend to persist longer

. More specifically:

• Weak tornadoes (EF0 or EF1) usually last a few minutes before dissipating

• Strong tornadoes often last around 8 minutes on average

• Violent tornadoes (EF4 or EF5) can last 25 minutes or more, with some exceptionally violent tornadoes lasting over an hour or even several hours in rare cases

• The longest-lived tornadoes on record have been on the ground for multiple hours, such as the 2021 Tennessee-Kentucky tornado which lasted nearly three hours and traveled over 165 miles

• Tornado lifetimes can range from a few seconds up to several hours, depending on their intensity and the storm environment

In summary, while most tornadoes last less than 10 minutes, intense and violent tornadoes can persist much longer, sometimes for an hour or more, with rare cases exceeding several hours