SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The nation’s initial tornado of 2025 defied expectations by bypassing the usual tornado-prone regions and instead making its presence known in Northern California on Friday. The remarkable event unfolded as a potent storm system loomed, poised to unleash over a foot of snow upon select areas of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. This weather phenomenon, responsible for generating isolated thunderstorms, embarked on a journey from the southwest to the northeast, traversing a rural expanse of the Golden State.
Alert meteorologists stationed at the National Weather Service office in Sacramento diligently tracked the storm’s progression, anticipating potential hazards. Their attentiveness paid off when they detected a notable rotation within one of the storm cells, prompting the issuance of a Tornado Warning. Residents within the affected vicinity received urgent advisories, stressing the imperative need to seek sturdy shelter and refrain from lingering near vulnerable windows.
Subsequent to the warning’s dissemination, meteorologists caught sight of the looming twister through a surveillance camera primarily designated for monitoring wildfire activity and smoke patterns, rather than extreme weather occurrences. This fortuitous glance at the tornado was made possible by PG&E, California’s predominant utility provider, which endorses an extensive network of wildfire cameras across the Northern and Central regions of the state. These cameras, initially intended for fire surveillance, have now demonstrated their versatility by capturing rare glimpses of celestial events, such as shooting stars, and now, a rare tornado sighting.
Despite the tornado’s visibility, the NWS meteorologists disclosed a lack of damage reports, a somewhat expected outcome considering the remote landscape of Tehama and Shasta counties. California, a state that typically encounters fewer than twelve tornadoes annually, experiences relatively milder tornadoes that tend to register lower on the Enhanced Fujita Wind Scale. These whirlwinds, although sporadic throughout the year, exhibit a slight prevalence during the transitional seasons of spring and fall.
Historical data from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center reveals that California has documented fewer than 500 tornadoes since 1950, resulting in a few injuries but no fatalities. The most recent notable tornado occurrence in the state transpired in December, materializing as an EF-1 tornado in the Scotts Valley region of Santa Cruz County. This event caused vehicle overturning and inflicted damage upon local businesses, leading to several non-life-threatening injuries. The lack of prior warning concerning the severe storm accentuated the urgency for improved forecasting and disaster preparedness initiatives.
The sighting of the California tornado underscores a broader trend within the nation, as evidenced by the significant uptick in tornado occurrences during 2024. According to the SPC data, last year witnessed a staggering 1,735 tornadoes across the United States, surpassing the average annual count by over 40%. The preliminary evaluation for 2024 suggests a trajectory towards becoming the second busiest tornado year in recorded history, trailing only behind the record-setting year of 2004, which saw 1,817 tornado
