State College, PA Tornado History — 21 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has State College, PA had?
State College has had 21 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950.
When was the most recent tornado near State College?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of State College was an EF1 on July 2, 2023.
When is tornado season in State College?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near State College, 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 State College
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 5 total, averaging 0.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near State College since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 State College. 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
Have any tornadoes near State College been fatal?
No fatalities are on record within 25 miles of State College from any of the 21 tornadoes since 1950, though 8 injuries have been reported. NOAA Storm Prediction Center records.
Notable Tornadoes Near State College
About Tornadoes in State College
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.
State College, Pennsylvania has experienced 21 documented tornadoes within a 25-mile radius since 1950, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Despite its location in central Pennsylvania, well removed from the nation's most tornado-prone regions, the area has seen periodic severe weather events spanning seven decades. Notably, none of these tornadoes have resulted in fatalities, though property damage has occurred in several instances.
Tornado activity in the State College area has been relatively modest in intensity, with the recorded events distributed across the Enhanced Fujita scale's lower categories. Eight tornadoes have been rated EF0, representing the weakest classification with wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph. An equal number have been rated EF1, with winds from 86 to 110 mph. Five tornadoes have reached EF2 intensity, with winds between 111 and 135 mph, but none have exceeded this threshold.
The temporal distribution of these events shows considerable variation by decade. The 1990s saw the highest concentration with eight tornadoes, while the 1980s and 2000s each recorded only a single event. The 1950s, 1970s, and 2010s each saw between two and four tornadoes. June has been the most active month historically, accounting for six of the 21 recorded tornadoes, consistent with the general pattern of late spring and early summer severe weather activity across the northeastern United States.
The most significant tornado on record occurred on April 19, 2019, when an EF2 tornado carved a 4.9-mile path through the area with a maximum width of 200 yards, causing an estimated $500,000 in property damage. This event also holds the record as the longest-tracked tornado in the area's documented history. The widest tornado occurred on November 20, 1989, when an F2 tornado reached a maximum width of 1,230 yards along a 3.5-mile path, causing $27,500 in damage. The most recent event was an EF1 tornado on July 2, 2023, which traveled 0.6 miles with no reported property damage.