Member-only story
The Truth Behind The Arch Effect and St. Louis Storms
A conspiracy theory suggests that the Gateway Arch controls the weather
Since 1965, the skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, has been dominated by a 190-metre (623 ft) stainless steel archway. Known as the “Gateway to the West,” the Arch commemorates the westward expansion of settlers in the United States.
What is the Arch Effect?
A conspiracy theory says that the Arch was part of a top secret weather control installation. As severe storms approach the city of St. Louis, they split and go north and south of the metro area before rejoining again over central Illinois.
Sounds outlandish, right? But there hasn’t been a major tornado impact the city centre since 1959. And when observed by Doppler radar, it does look like storms routinely split and go around the city.
In the hundred-ish years from 1870 to 1965, St. Louis City experienced eight tornadoes, ranging from F1–4. “F” stands for Fujita Scale, named for meteorologist Ted Fujita. The scale read:
- F0 — under 73mph / light damage
