A strong thunderstorm birthed a rare tornado on Friday evening near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, close to the Shasta County border in Northern California, according to meteorologists.
Scientists will study video and weather information where the twister touched down in the wilderness, about 8 miles northeast of Dairyville and 10 miles east of Cottonwood, the National Weather Service said.
The tornado developed between 5:18 and 5:21 p.m., prompting the weather service to issue a tornado warning for both counties by 5:22 p.m. Reports came to the agency almost immediately from a weather “spotter,” and webcams caught the event as it happened, said meteorologist Johnnie Powell at the weather service’s Sacramento branch.
As of 8:45 p.m., there were no reports the twister injured anyone, or that it damaged any homes or businesses, according to the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Services.
The North State has the dubious honor of having the first tornado of 2025 in California, possibly in the whole country, Powell said.
It was also the latest of at least 12 tornadoes spotted in Tehama County in 76 years, according to weather experts.
Here’s what we know about Friday’s tornado and other North State twisters.
How a tornado grew over Tehama County
The thunderstorm that brought hail and heavy rain to the northern Sacramento Valley Friday evening, also triggered the twister, Powell said.
Tornadoes form when air, blowing in different directions, rises up in a thunderstorm and begins to spin, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
The storm dissipated late Friday evening, Powell said, and the Redding area should be mostly dry this weekend and next week, with sunny skies.
How big and fast was the tornado?
Meteorologists have yet to learn how strong Friday’s tornado was, and how fast the wind was, Powell said.
The weather service could announce those answers as soon as Saturday, but first scientists need to look at the extent of the damage in daylight, Powell said: Are there overturned trees? What does the tornado’s path on the ground look like? Those things will give scientists the clues they need to come up with those answers.
“Even in Kansas, you have to wait” for tornado details, Powell said.
How many tornadoes have hit California in 2024?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports California was hit with three tornadoes in 2024.
On March 1, 2024, a weak tornado in northeast Madera in the San Joaquin Valley caused $50,000 in damage. No one was hurt.
On Feb. 7, 2024, two weak tornadoes hit in San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast. Niether caused damage or injuries.
How many tornadoes have hit California?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has tracked tornadoes nationwide since 1950. In that time 482 twisters have hit California, with 92 injuries and no deaths. Those tornadoes caused $134,801,060 in property damage and $1,511,550 in crop losses.
The county with the most tornado sightings (49) between 1950 to 2024 is also one of the most densely populated. It was Los Angeles County. San Bernardino County came in second with 33, while Orange and Fresno countries tied for third with 31. RIverside County has seen 27 tornado sightings since 1950, while Ventura County recorded seven.
In Central California, besides Fresno County (31), San Joaquin County (19), Merced County (17) and Tulare County (14) had the most sightings in the San Joaquin Valley since 1950.
On the Central Coast, Monterey County had five sited tornadoes.
In the North State, Tehama County had the most tornadoes — a total of 11 twisters — between 1950 and 2024, according to Golden Gate Weather Services consulting firm. Two of those tornadoes formed at the same time of year: Jan. 4, 2021. The most recent tornado reported by Golden Gate was on April 25, 2021.
During the same 75-year period, one tornado was spotted in Siskiyou County and four in Lassen, but none spun their way into Shasta or Trinity counties, Golden Gate reported.
Where to read more about tornadoes in California
To learn more about tornadoes, see the weather service’s tornado information website at weather.gov/ffc/torntext and UCAR’s tornado website at scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/how-tornadoes-form.
Go to Golden Gate Weather’s website to read a history of known tornadoes in California ggweather.com/ca_tornado.
You can also see a database of tornado information at https://data.desertsun.com/tornado-archive/california/2024/
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Tornadoes in California are rare but not uncommon in California