Tornado season in California
Tornado season in California peaks from January to March, when 43% of its tornadoes touch down; February is the busiest month. California averaged 8.8 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025.
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). All states
Tornadoes in California by month
All tornadoes recorded in California, 1996–2025, by the month they touched down.
| Month | Tornadoes, 1996–2025 | Average a year | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32 | 1.1 | 12% |
| February (busiest) | 43 | 1.4 | 16% |
| March | 38 | 1.3 | 14% |
| April | 32 | 1.1 | 12% |
| May | 27 | 0.9 | 10% |
| June | 4 | 0.1 | 2% |
| July | 10 | 0.3 | 4% |
| August | 16 | 0.5 | 6% |
| September | 10 | 0.3 | 4% |
| October | 10 | 0.3 | 4% |
| November | 17 | 0.6 | 6% |
| December | 26 | 0.9 | 10% |
Is there a second tornado season in California?
California's main tornado season is itself in the cool months: 45% of its tornadoes came from November to February, when Pacific storms bring most of its rain. Most are weak and short-lived.
What time of day tornadoes hit California
The most common hour for a tornado to touch down in California is 3 pm to 4 pm (local standard time). 10% came between 6 pm and 6 am, when it is dark for much of the year and many people are asleep. A weather radio or phone alerts that can wake you matter most where night tornadoes are common.
How strong: the EF-scale mix
Ratings of California's tornadoes, 1996–2025. Wind speeds are the EF scale's estimated 3-second gusts. 2% of rated tornadoes were EF2 or stronger.
| Rating | Estimated wind | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 / F0 | 65–85 mph | 200 | 75% |
| EF1 / F1 | 86–110 mph | 55 | 21% |
| EF2 / F2 | 111–135 mph | 4 | 2% |
| EF3 / F3 | 136–165 mph | 0 | 0% |
| EF4 / F4 | 166–200 mph | 0 | 0% |
| EF5 / F5 | over 200 mph | 0 | 0% |
| Unrated (EFU) | — | 6 | 2% |
Strongest tornadoes in California since 1950
Highest rating first; ties by deaths, injuries and path length.
| Date | Rating | Deaths | Injuries | Path | First county |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 9, 1978 | F3 | 0 | 6 | 2 mi, 67 yd wide | Orange County |
| August 16, 1973 | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi, 10 yd wide | Riverside County |
| March 1, 1983 | F2 | 0 | 30 | 3.5 mi, 100 yd wide | Los Angeles County |
| November 7, 1966 | F2 | 0 | 10 | 10.3 mi, 50 yd wide | Los Angeles County |
| September 7, 1982 | F2 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi, 20 yd wide | San Bernardino County |
Deadliest tornadoes in California since 1950
No tornado deaths are recorded in California in the database, which starts in 1950.
Tornadoes per year in California
The busiest year in 1996–2025 was 2005, with 30 tornadoes; the quietest was 2003, with 0. 486 tornadoes are recorded in California since 1950. The last 10 years:
| Year | Tornadoes |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2019 | 14 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |
Tornado risk in California right now
This page is history. For today, check tornado warnings in force now and the severe weather and tornado outlook for the next three days, or all weather alerts in California. How exposed each county is: natural disaster risk in California.
Tornado watch or tornado warning?
- Tornado watch: conditions are right for tornadoes in and near the watch area, often parts of several states, for several hours. Issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Be ready and know where you would shelter.
- Tornado warning: a tornado has been seen or is shown by radar and threatens the warned area now. Issued by the local National Weather Service office, usually for less than an hour. Go to shelter at once: a basement, or an inside room with no windows on the lowest floor.
- Tornado emergency: the most serious wording the Weather Service can put in a warning, used when a confirmed, damaging tornado is heading for a town or city.
Right now: tornado warnings in force · severe weather and tornado outlook for today to day 3 · all US weather alerts by state
About this data
Data: NOAA SPC tornado database, years 1996–2025 (records since 1950). Source: the tornado file of the NOAA Storm Prediction Center's Severe Weather Database (1950-2025_all_tornadoes.csv), a US Government work in the public domain, spc.noaa.gov/wcm. Built 2026-10-18.
- Months, times of day, averages and the EF-scale mix cover the latest 30 full years in the database. The strongest and deadliest lists go back to 1950, when the database starts.
- A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in every state it touched, with the deaths and injuries in each state, as the Storm Prediction Center advises. National totals count each tornado once.
- Ratings before February 2007 are on the Fujita (F) scale and later ones on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. "EFU" means the tornado could not be rated, usually because it hit nothing that could be surveyed.
- Times are local standard time; the county is the first county on the tornado's path. More tornadoes are reported now than in the 1950s because of radar, spotters and phone cameras, so old and new counts are not directly comparable.
- This is history, not a forecast. Any month can bring a tornado; follow your local National Weather Service office.
Questions
When is tornado season in California?
Tornado season in California peaks from January to March, when 43% of its tornadoes touch down; February is the busiest month. California averaged 8.8 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025.
How many tornadoes does California get a year?
California averaged 8.8 tornadoes a year in 1996–2025 (265 tornadoes in all). The busiest year was 2005, with 30 tornadoes. A tornado that crossed a state line is counted in each state it touched.
What was the strongest tornado in California?
The strongest rated tornado in California since 1950 was the F3 of February 9, 1978 in Orange County. No tornado deaths in California are recorded in the database since 1950.
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means conditions are right for tornadoes to form in and near the watch area, which often covers parts of several states for several hours; it is issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Stay alert and know where you would shelter. A tornado warning means a tornado has been seen or shown by radar and is a threat to the warned area now; it is issued by the local National Weather Service office for a much smaller area, usually for less than an hour. A warning is the more serious of the two: go to your shelter at once.
Tornado season in other states
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