Barstow, CA Tornado History — 7 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Barstow, CA had?
Barstow has had 7 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Barstow?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Barstow was an EF0 on August 18, 2013.
When is tornado season in Barstow?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Barstow, with 2 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 Barstow
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 1 total, averaging 0.1 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 Barstow been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Barstow from any of the 7 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Barstow
About Tornadoes in Barstow
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.
Barstow, California, situated in the Mojave Desert, has experienced seven documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. This relatively low frequency reflects the region's arid climate, where the atmospheric conditions necessary for tornado formation—abundant moisture, strong wind shear, and atmospheric instability—occur far less often than in the central and eastern United States.
The majority of these tornadoes have been weak, with four rated EF0, two rated EF1, and only one reaching EF2 intensity. The strongest event on record occurred on June 25, 1954, when an F2 tornado caused $275 in property damage along a brief 0.1-mile path with a maximum width of just 10 yards. Despite its relatively high rating for the area, this tornado caused no fatalities. In fact, none of the seven tornadoes recorded near Barstow have resulted in any deaths, and most have caused no reported property damage.
Tornado activity near Barstow has been sporadic across the decades, with one event in the 1950s, one in the 1980s, four in the 1990s, and one in the 2010s. The 1990s saw the most activity, including the longest-tracked tornado on record for the area—an F1 event on May 18, 1997, that traveled 9.0 miles with a maximum width of 40 yards. May has been the most active month historically, with two tornadoes recorded during that period. The most recent tornado occurred on August 18, 2013, when an EF0 tornado with a maximum width of only 3 yards traveled one mile without causing damage or injuries.
While tornadoes are uncommon in the Barstow area, the desert environment can occasionally produce convective storms capable of generating brief, weak tornadoes, particularly during the warmer months when monsoonal moisture occasionally moves into the region from the south.