Ceres, CA Tornado History — 18 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Ceres, CA had?
Ceres has had 18 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Ceres?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Ceres was an EF0 on April 1, 2025.
When is tornado season in Ceres?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Ceres, with 8 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 Ceres
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 4 total, averaging 0.2 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Ceres since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Within 25 miles of Ceres. 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
Have any tornadoes near Ceres been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Ceres from any of the 18 tornadoes since 1950, though 1 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Ceres
About Tornadoes in Ceres
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.
Ceres sits in Stanislaus County, on the flat agricultural floor of California's San Joaquin Valley, where Pacific storm systems crossing the valley in late winter and spring occasionally spin up brief tornadoes. On April 27, 1953, an F2 tornado touched down in the area, cutting a tenth-of-a-mile path just 10 yards wide and causing $2,750 in property damage.
That spring signature has repeated across the decades. An F1 struck on April 1, 1958, and a stormy first week of March 1978 brought F1 touchdowns on March 1 and March 4. Later springs produced mostly weaker twisters: an F0 on April 1, 1996, another on March 29, 1998, and a burst of F0s on March 20, April 8, and April 9, 2005, followed by an F0 on March 28, 2006, and an F1 on April 14, 2006.
Cool-season tornadoes have visited the Ceres area as well. An F0 touched down on October 16, 1969, an F1 on December 12, 1996, an EF1 on November 15, 2015, and an EF0 on December 24, 2015. Spring events have continued into the EF-scale era, with an EF0 on April 27, 2016, and another EF0 on April 1, 2025, both arriving in the heart of the valley's spring storm season.