Lincoln, CA Tornado History — 25 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Lincoln, CA had?
Lincoln has had 25 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Lincoln?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Lincoln was an EF0 on November 18, 2020.
When is tornado season in Lincoln?
February is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Lincoln, with 6 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 Lincoln
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 12 total, averaging 0.6 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 Lincoln been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Lincoln from any of the 25 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Lincoln
About Tornadoes in Lincoln
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
An F2 tornado carved a 1.9-mile track, 20 yards wide, near Lincoln on February 7, 1978, causing $275,000 in property damage in the middle of Northern California's wet season. That timing is telling: tornado activity around this Placer County city rides in with the cool-season Pacific storms that sweep the Sacramento Valley, from an F0 touchdown in October 1972 through twisters in the depths of December and January.
The rhythm held in later decades. February 21, 2005 brought a burst of F0 touchdowns in a single day, part of a stormy late winter and spring that also produced F0s in March, April, and May of that year. October 2012 delivered EF1 tornadoes on back-to-back days, the 22nd and the 23rd, and another EF1 followed on December 24, 2015. March 27, 2014 saw EF0 touchdowns as well, and January 2017 brought EF0s on the 9th and the 11th, just two days apart amid a run of winter storms.
Recent seasons have stayed true to form: an EF0 on March 22, 2018, another on February 3, 2019, and an EF0 on November 18, 2020, each spinning up where Sacramento Valley moisture and passing Pacific fronts meet the rising terrain of western Placer County, northeast of Sacramento.