Sun City West, AZ Tornado History — 33 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Sun City West, AZ had?
Sun City West has had 33 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Sun City West?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Sun City West was an EF0 on November 29, 2019.
When is tornado season in Sun City West?
August is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Sun City West, with 7 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 Sun City West
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 6 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
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
Have any tornadoes near Sun City West been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Sun City West from any of the 33 tornadoes since 1950, though 11 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Sun City West
About Tornadoes in Sun City West
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Sun City West sits on flat Sonoran Desert terrain in Maricopa County, along the northwest edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and many of the tornadoes documented near the community have come with the summer monsoon, when surges of tropical moisture destabilize the desert atmosphere over central Arizona.
The monsoon's destructive potential showed on June 22, 1972, when an F2 tornado tracked 13.5 miles across the area, injuring three people and causing $27.5 million in property damage. Other F2 tornadoes here have been much briefer: a touchdown on October 4, 1968 stayed on the ground for roughly a tenth of a mile yet still injured three people and did $275,000 in damage, and another short-track F2 spun up on September 15, 1971, causing $27,500 in damage.
The cool season carries its own risk, as Pacific storm systems crossing Arizona have produced winter touchdowns as well: F0 tornadoes on January 4, 1989, February 9, 1993, and February 28, 2003, and an F1 on January 6, 1992.
In the community's more recent history, EF0 tornadoes touched down on October 6, 2015, August 4, 2017, and October 23, 2018, and the fall of 2019 brought further EF0 touchdowns on September 23 and November 29 — brief visitations, but reminders that even this desert retirement community sees tornado weather of a distinctly Arizonan kind.