Catalina Foothills, AZ Tornado History — 22 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Catalina Foothills, AZ had?
Catalina Foothills has had 22 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Catalina Foothills?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Catalina Foothills was an Unrated on September 16, 2025.
When is tornado season in Catalina Foothills?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Catalina Foothills, with 9 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Catalina Foothills
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 7 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Catalina Foothills since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Catalina Foothills. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Catalina Foothills
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Catalina Foothills since 1950, across 2 events. 53 injuries have been reported across all events. 1964 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on August 27, 1964, which caused 2 fatalities along a 0.1-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Catalina Foothills
About Tornadoes in Catalina Foothills
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
The Catalina Foothills area has experienced 22 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. While this total is modest compared to regions in the central United States, it reflects the occasional severe thunderstorm activity that can develop in southern Arizona, particularly during the North American monsoon season.
Tornado activity in this region shows a clear seasonal pattern, with July accounting for 9 of the 22 recorded events. This concentration aligns with the peak of monsoon thunderstorms, when moisture surges from the Gulf of California interact with daytime heating over the desert terrain. The distribution by decade reveals variability, with the 1990s recording 5 tornadoes and the 2020s matching that count through 2025. Most tornadoes have been weak, with 9 rated EF0 and 8 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. Only 2 tornadoes reached EF2 strength, while 3 remain unrated.
The deadliest tornado on record occurred on August 27, 1964, when an F2 tornado resulted in 2 fatalities. That event caused $27,500 in property damage and traveled a brief 0.1-mile path with a maximum width of just 10 yards. The costliest tornado struck on July 7, 1992, producing $2.75 million in damage despite being rated F1. This tornado carved a 2.8-mile path, also with a narrow 10-yard width.
More recently, an EF1 tornado on July 3, 2024, became both the widest and longest-track tornado in the area's records, with a maximum width of 150 yards and a path length of 3.3 miles. It caused $50,000 in damage with no injuries. The most recent event was an unrated tornado on September 16, 2025, which caused no damage or casualties and had a maximum width of only 1 yard. While tornadoes remain relatively infrequent in the Catalina Foothills vicinity, the historical record demonstrates that they do occur and warrant awareness during the monsoon season.