Cranberry Township, PA Tornado History — 75 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Cranberry Township, PA had?
Cranberry Township has had 75 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 2 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Cranberry Township?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Cranberry Township was an EF0 on May 21, 2025.
When is tornado season in Cranberry Township?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Cranberry Township, with 19 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 Cranberry Township
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 34 total, averaging 1.7 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Cranberry Township since December 29, 2025
These are 3 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Cranberry Township. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
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 Cranberry Township
9 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Cranberry Township since 1950, across 1 event. 323 injuries have been reported across all events. 1985 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on May 31, 1985, which caused 9 fatalities along a 39.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Cranberry Township
About Tornadoes in Cranberry Township
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.
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, sits in a region where 68 tornadoes have been documented within 25 miles since 1950, according to NOAA Storm Prediction Center records. While tornadoes are less frequent here than in the central United States, the area experiences a distinct seasonal pattern, with June accounting for 18 of these events—more than any other month. The 2020s have seen a notable increase in recorded tornadoes, with 22 events so far this decade, compared to single-digit totals in the 2000s and 2010s. This uptick may reflect improved detection technology, including Doppler radar advancements and increased public reporting, rather than a fundamental shift in atmospheric conditions.
The majority of tornadoes near Cranberry Township have been relatively weak, with 29 rated EF0 and 30 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on observed damage. However, the region has experienced significant events. On June 3, 1980, an F4 tornado carved an 11.8-mile path with a maximum width of just 10 yards, causing $275 million in property damage despite its narrow profile. The deadliest tornado on record occurred on June 1, 1985, when an F3 twister claimed nine lives and caused $27.5 million in damage along a 39-mile path that reached 243 yards wide.
Other notable tornadoes include the longest-tracked event, an F2 that traveled 45.3 miles on June 4, 1975, and the widest, an EF1 that reached 790 yards across on June 11, 2020, while traveling 9.6 miles. The most recent tornado struck on May 21, 2025, an EF0 event with a 0.4-mile path that caused $50,000 in damage. Only one tornado in the historical record remains unrated, while six have been classified as EF2 and one as EF3, demonstrating that while violent tornadoes are rare in western Pennsylvania, they do occur.
Tornado activity near Cranberry Township has varied considerably by decade, with the 1990s recording 11 events and the 1960s just one. The spring and early summer months remain the primary tornado season, driven by the clash of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico with cooler air masses descending from Canada, creating the atmospheric instability necessary for severe thunderstorm development and tornadogenesis.