Woodland, CA Tornado History — 17 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Woodland, CA had?
Woodland has had 17 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near Woodland?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Woodland was an EF0 on September 28, 2019.
When is tornado season in Woodland?
February is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Woodland, with 5 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 Woodland
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 6 total, averaging 0.3 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 Woodland been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of Woodland from any of the 17 tornadoes since 1950. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near Woodland
About Tornadoes in Woodland
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.
Woodland, California, located in the Central Valley about 15 miles northwest of Sacramento, has experienced 17 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Unlike the more tornado-prone regions of the Great Plains and Southeast, California sees relatively few tornadoes overall, and those that do occur in the state's interior valleys are typically weak and short-lived. The vast majority of Woodland-area tornadoes—15 of the 17 on record—have been rated EF0, the weakest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with maximum winds below 85 mph. Only one EF1 and one EF2 tornado have been recorded in the area since 1950.
Tornado activity near Woodland has been most frequent during the 2000s and 2010s, with six tornadoes documented in each of those decades. Earlier periods saw considerably less activity, with just two tornadoes in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, and one in the 1990s. March stands out as the peak month for tornado occurrence, accounting for five of the 17 events. This spring peak aligns with broader patterns across California, where tornadoes are most common during the wet season when atmospheric conditions occasionally support rotating thunderstorms.
The costliest tornado on record occurred on March 22, 1983, when an F1-rated tornado carved a two-mile path with a maximum width of 50 yards, causing $275,000 in property damage but no fatalities. The widest tornado tracked near Woodland touched down on January 11, 2017, as an EF0 with a maximum width of 130 yards along a 0.4-mile path, resulting in $25,000 in damage. The longest-track tornado was an EF0 on March 27, 2014, which traveled four miles with a narrow 20-yard width and caused no reported damage. Most recently, an EF0 tornado with a remarkably narrow one-yard width touched down on September 29, 2019, traveling 1.7 miles without causing damage or injuries.
Notably, none of the tornadoes recorded near Woodland since 1950 have resulted in fatalities, reflecting both the generally weak nature of Central Valley tornadoes and the relatively low population density of the agricultural areas where many of these events have occurred. While tornadoes remain rare in this part of California compared to other regions of the United States, the historical record demonstrates that they do occur and warrant awareness among residents, particularly during the late winter and early spring months.