Traverse City, MI Tornado History — 25 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Traverse City, MI had?
Traverse City has had 25 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Traverse City?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Traverse City was an Unrated on September 22, 2025.
When is tornado season in Traverse City?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Traverse City, with 6 on record. April through June account for 9 of the 25 tornadoes on record near Traverse City.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Traverse City
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 7 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
What storm spotters reported near Traverse City
2 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Traverse City and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on September 22, 2025 and the most recent on September 22, 2025. They are already counted in the Traverse City totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
Tornado transitioned into a waterspout over torch lake with multiple images and videos of the tornadic waterspout over Torch Lake. Time and exact location of touchdown (APX)
Video relayed by media of brief... weak tornado crossing the road. Location estimated via radar. (APX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
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
Casualties on Record Near Traverse City
2 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Traverse City since 1950, across 2 events. 31 injuries have been reported across all events. 2007 was the deadliest year on record near Traverse City.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on April 3, 1956, which caused 1 fatality along a 50.3-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Traverse City
What the record shows near Traverse City
The 1990s were the busiest decade near Traverse City, with 6 of the 25 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 3 so far. The Traverse City record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Traverse City, 18 reached EF0 or EF1 and 6 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Traverse City is rated EF4, of which 1 is logged. A further 1 near Traverse City is unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Traverse City has averaged 0.3 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 7 in total. 2025 was the busiest of them with 3, and 16 of those years passed with none at all.