California Tornado History — 486 Tornadoes Since 1950
362 cities covered · 1950–present · NOAA Storm Prediction Center
Confirmed records complete through December 29, 2025
How many tornadoes does California get per year?
California has had 486 tornadoes on record since 1950, including 2 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes — averaging about 6.4 per year since 1950 (about 6.1 per year over the last decade). Counts come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center archive for California. The 362 cities below report tornadoes within their own search radius, so those figures overlap each other and do not sum to the state total.
When was the most recent tornado in California?
The most recent confirmed tornado in our California dataset was an EF0 tornado on April 1, 2025. Confirmed records are complete through December 29, 2025; more recent preliminary reports are listed below.
When is tornado season in California?
March is historically the peak month for tornadoes in California, with 88 on record since 1950. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most US states.
California at a Glance
Cities Covered
362
Tornado-prone metros
Tornadoes on Record
486
Sum across city radii
EF3+ Tornadoes
2
0.4% of all tornadoes
Peak Month
March
88 aggregate
Notable Tornadoes in California
Most Recent Tornado
EF0 on April 1, 2025.
9 preliminary tornado reports in California since December 29, 2025
These are 9 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Preliminary
May 3, 2026
3 WSW Chester, Plumas County
Preliminary
April 23, 2026
3 WSW Atwater, Merced County
Preliminary
April 23, 2026
8 ENE Clovis, Fresno County
Preliminary
EF1°
April 22, 2026
11 ENE Clovis, Fresno County
Preliminary
EF0°
April 22, 2026
Terra Bella, Tulare County
Preliminary
EF1°
April 22, 2026
8 ENE Clovis, Fresno County
Preliminary
April 21, 2026
3 WSW Atwater, Merced County
Preliminary
EF0°
April 21, 2026
5 NE Kerman, Fresno County
Preliminary
April 12, 2026
4 SE Vina, Tehama County
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Recent tornado warnings in California
Cities
Adelanto, CA
Agoura, CA
Agoura Hills, CA
Agua Caliente, CA
Alameda, CA
Albany, CA
Alhambra, CA
Aliso Viejo, CA
Altadena, CA
American Canyon, CA
Anaheim, CA
Antelope, CA
Antioch, CA
Apple Valley, CA
Arcadia, CA
Arden-Arcade, CA
Arroyo Grande, CA
Artesia, CA
Arvin, CA
Ashland, CA
Atwater, CA
Avocado Heights, CA
Azusa, CA
Bakersfield, CA
Baldwin Park, CA
Banning, CA
Barstow, CA
Barstow Heights, CA
Bay Point, CA
Bayview-Hunters Point, CA
Beaumont, CA
Bell, CA
Bell Gardens, CA
Bellflower, CA
Belmont, CA
Benicia, CA
Berkeley, CA
Bloomington, CA
Bostonia, CA
Brea, CA
Brentwood, CA
Buena Park, CA
Burbank, CA
Burlingame, CA
Camarillo, CA
Cameron Park, CA
Campbell, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Carmichael, CA
Carson, CA
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA
Castaic, CA
Castro Valley, CA
Ceres, CA
Cerritos, CA
Chico, CA
Chino, CA
Chino Hills, CA
Chowchilla, CA
Chula Vista, CA
Citrus Heights, CA
Claremont, CA
Clovis, CA
Colton, CA
Compton, CA
Concord, CA
Corcoran, CA
Corona, CA
Coronado, CA
Costa Mesa, CA
Covina, CA
Cudahy, CA
Cupertino, CA
Cypress, CA
Daly City, CA
Dana Point, CA
Danville, CA
Davis, CA
Delano, CA
Desert Hot Springs, CA
Diamond Bar, CA
Dinuba, CA
Dixon, CA
Downey, CA
Duarte, CA
Dublin, CA
East Hemet, CA
East Los Angeles, CA
East Palo Alto, CA
East Rancho Dominguez, CA
Eastvale, CA
El Cajon, CA
El Cerrito, CA
El Dorado Hills, CA
El Monte, CA
El Segundo, CA
Elk Grove, CA
Encinitas, CA
Escondido, CA
Fair Oaks, CA
Fairfield, CA
Fallbrook, CA
Fillmore, CA
Florence-Graham, CA
Florin, CA
Folsom, CA
Fontana, CA
Foothill Farms, CA
Foster City, CA
Fountain Valley, CA
Fremont, CA
Fresno, CA
Fullerton, CA
Galt, CA
Garden Grove, CA
Gardena, CA
Gilroy, CA
Glen Avon, CA
Glendale, CA
Glendora, CA
Granite Bay, CA
Hacienda Heights, CA
Hanford, CA
Hawthorne, CA
Hayward, CA
Hemet, CA
Hercules, CA
Hermosa Beach, CA
Hesperia, CA
Highland, CA
Hollister, CA
Huntington Beach, CA
Huntington Park, CA
Imperial Beach, CA
Inglewood, CA
Irvine, CA
Jurupa Valley, CA
La Canada Flintridge, CA
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
La Habra, CA
La Mesa, CA
La Mirada, CA
La Palma, CA
La Presa, CA
La Puente, CA
La Verne, CA
Ladera Ranch, CA
Lafayette, CA
Laguna Beach, CA
Laguna Hills, CA
Laguna Niguel, CA
Laguna Woods, CA
Lake Elsinore, CA
Lake Forest, CA
Lakeside, CA
Lakewood, CA
Lamont, CA
Lancaster, CA
Lathrop, CA
Lawndale, CA
Lemon Grove, CA
Lemoore, CA
Lennox, CA
Lincoln, CA
Linda, CA
Live Oak, CA
Livermore, CA
Lodi, CA
Loma Linda, CA
Lomita, CA
Long Beach, CA
Los Altos, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Los Banos, CA
Los Gatos, CA
Lynwood, CA
Madera, CA
Manhattan Beach, CA
Manteca, CA
Marina, CA
Martinez, CA
Maywood, CA
Mead Valley, CA
Menifee, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Merced, CA
Millbrae, CA
Milpitas, CA
Mission Viejo, CA
Modesto, CA
Monrovia, CA
Montclair, CA
Montebello, CA
Monterey, CA
Monterey Park, CA
Moorpark, CA
Moraga, CA
Moreno Valley, CA
Morgan Hill, CA
Mountain View, CA
Murrieta, CA
Napa, CA
National City, CA
Newark, CA
Newport Beach, CA
Norco, CA
North Highlands, CA
North Tustin, CA
Norwalk, CA
Novato, CA
Oakdale, CA
Oakland, CA
Oakley, CA
Oceanside, CA
Oildale, CA
Ontario, CA
Orange, CA
Orangevale, CA
Orcutt, CA
Orinda, CA
Oroville, CA
Oxnard, CA
Pacific Grove, CA
Pacifica, CA
Palm Springs, CA
Palmdale, CA
Palo Alto, CA
Paradise, CA
Paramount, CA
Parlier, CA
Pasadena, CA
Patterson, CA
Perris, CA
Petaluma, CA
Pico Rivera, CA
Pinole, CA
Pittsburg, CA
Placentia, CA
Pleasant Hill, CA
Pleasanton, CA
Pomona, CA
Port Hueneme, CA
Porterville, CA
Poway, CA
Prunedale, CA
Ramona, CA
Rancho Cordova, CA
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Rancho San Diego, CA
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Redlands, CA
Redondo Beach, CA
Redwood City, CA
Reedley, CA
Rialto, CA
Richmond, CA
Rio Linda, CA
Ripon, CA
Riverbank, CA
Riverside, CA
Rocklin, CA
Rohnert Park, CA
Rosamond, CA
Rosemead, CA
Rosemont, CA
Roseville, CA
Rowland Heights, CA
Rubidoux, CA
Sacramento, CA
Salinas, CA
San Bernardino, CA
San Bruno, CA
San Carlos, CA
San Clemente, CA
San Diego, CA
San Dimas, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Gabriel, CA
San Jacinto, CA
San Jose, CA
San Juan Capistrano, CA
San Leandro, CA
San Lorenzo, CA
San Marcos, CA
San Mateo, CA
San Pablo, CA
San Ramon, CA
Sanger, CA
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clarita, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Santa Paula, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Santee, CA
Saratoga, CA
Seal Beach, CA
Seaside, CA
Selma, CA
Shafter, CA
Simi Valley, CA
South El Monte, CA
South Gate, CA
South Lake Tahoe, CA
South Pasadena, CA
South San Francisco, CA
South San Jose Hills, CA
South Whittier, CA
South Yuba City, CA
Spring Valley, CA
Stanton, CA
Stevenson Ranch, CA
Stockton, CA
Suisun, CA
Sunnyvale, CA
Temecula, CA
Temple City, CA
Thousand Oaks, CA
Torrance, CA
Tracy, CA
Tulare, CA
Turlock, CA
Tustin, CA
Twentynine Palms, CA
Union City, CA
Upland, CA
Vacaville, CA
Valencia, CA
Valinda, CA
Vallejo, CA
Ventura, CA
Victorville, CA
Vincent, CA
Vineyard, CA
Visalia, CA
Vista, CA
Walnut, CA
Walnut Creek, CA
Walnut Park, CA
Wasco, CA
Watsonville, CA
West Carson, CA
West Covina, CA
West Puente Valley, CA
West Sacramento, CA
West Whittier-Los Nietos, CA
Westminster, CA
Westmont, CA
Whittier, CA
Wildomar, CA
Willowbrook, CA
Windsor, CA
Winter Gardens, CA
Woodland, CA
Yorba Linda, CA
Yuba City, CA
Yucaipa, CA
Yucca Valley, CA