Palm Springs, CA Tornado History — 6 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Palm Springs, CA had?
Palm Springs has had 6 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Palm Springs?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Palm Springs was an EF0 on August 16, 2018.
When is tornado season in Palm Springs?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Palm Springs, with 3 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 Palm Springs
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 Palm Springs been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Palm Springs from any of the 6 tornadoes since 1950, though 1 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Palm Springs
About Tornadoes in Palm Springs
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.
Palm Springs, California, has experienced six tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since modern record-keeping began in 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. All of these events were rated EF0 or EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which classifies tornadoes from EF0 (weakest, with winds 65–85 mph) to EF5 (strongest, with winds exceeding 200 mph). The relatively low intensity of these tornadoes reflects the region's desert climate and geographic setting, which typically do not favor the development of the intense supercell thunderstorms that produce stronger tornadoes.
Tornado activity in the Palm Springs area has been sporadic, with events recorded in the 1970s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. July has been the most active month, accounting for three of the six tornadoes on record. This summer peak differs from the typical spring maximum seen in much of the central United States, where warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with cooler, drier air to create volatile atmospheric conditions. In desert regions like Palm Springs, tornadoes more often develop from isolated thunderstorms during the North American monsoon season.
None of the tornadoes recorded near Palm Springs have resulted in fatalities. The costliest event occurred on August 12, 1994, when an F0 tornado caused $275,000 in property damage along a 0.1-mile path with a maximum width of just 10 yards. The widest and longest tornado on record touched down on July 23, 2005, traveling two miles with a maximum width of 50 yards, though it caused no reported damage. Most recently, an EF0 tornado with a maximum width of only two yards touched down on August 16, 2018, traveling 0.2 miles without causing damage or injuries.
The limited tornado history in the Palm Springs area underscores the rarity of these events in Southern California's desert environment. While tornadoes can occur almost anywhere given the right atmospheric conditions, the combination of dry air, limited moisture sources, and stable atmospheric patterns typical of the region makes significant tornado activity uncommon compared to areas with more frequent severe thunderstorm development.