Foster City, CA Tornado History — 10 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Foster City, CA had?
Foster City has had 10 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Foster City?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Foster City was a F1 on March 20, 2005.
When is tornado season in Foster City?
January is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Foster City, 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
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 Foster City been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Foster City from any of the 10 tornadoes since 1950, though 3 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Foster City
About Tornadoes in Foster City
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.
Foster City, California, and its surrounding 25-mile radius have experienced 10 documented tornadoes since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. This relatively modest count reflects the rarity of tornadic activity along the California coast, where atmospheric conditions typically differ from those in the nation's more tornado-prone regions. The tornadoes recorded in this area have been predominantly weak, with four rated EF0 and four rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. Two events reached EF2 intensity, representing the strongest tornadoes on record for the area.
The temporal distribution of these tornadoes shows notable clustering in the 1990s, when five events occurred, while the 1950s and 1980s each saw two tornadoes. Only one tornado has been recorded since 2000, occurring in 2005. Unusually for most of the United States, where tornado activity peaks in spring and early summer, January stands out as the most active month in this region with two recorded events. This winter peak aligns with the season when Pacific storm systems can occasionally produce the wind shear and instability necessary for tornado formation along the California coast.
The costliest and longest-tracked tornado in the area's history occurred on January 11, 1951, when an F2-rated tornado carved a 5.7-mile path with a maximum width of just 10 yards, causing $2.75 million in property damage. Despite the relatively strong rating, this narrow tornado caused no fatalities. The widest tornado on record struck on May 6, 1998, reaching 100 yards in width during its 0.6-mile path, though it caused minimal monetary damage. The most recent tornado touched down on March 20, 2005, traveling three miles as an F1-intensity event.
Remarkably, none of the 10 tornadoes recorded within 25 miles of Foster City have resulted in any fatalities. This safety record, combined with the infrequency of events and their generally weak intensity, distinguishes the tornado climatology of coastal California from regions where tornadoes pose a more persistent threat to life and property.