Tornadoes in California
The Storm Prediction Center records 487 tornadoes that touched California between 1951 and 2025, and 486 of them began there. A tornado that crossed a state line counts in every state it touched. None of them is recorded as having killed anyone. The busiest month is March, with 86 tornadoes.
- 487tornadoes
- 0deaths
- 97injuries
- 31per 10,000 sq mi of land
- 49counties touched
Tornadoes per 10,000 square miles lets you compare states of different sizes. It counts every tornado that touched the state.
How strong were California's tornadoes?
| Rating | Tornadoes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| F0 / EF0 | 322 | 66% |
| F1 / EF1 | 133 | 27% |
| F2 / EF2 | 24 | 5% |
| F3 / EF3 | 2 | <1% |
| F4 / EF4 | 0 | 0% |
| F5 / EF5 | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown rating | 6 | 1% |
California tornadoes over time
The 2020s only run to 2025, so that bar is for a shorter period. The record starts in 1951.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 22 |
| 1960s | 26 |
| 1970s | 43 |
| 1980s | 61 |
| 1990s | 137 |
| 2000s | 83 |
| 2010s | 81 |
| 2020s | 34 |
The record has changed over the decades as detection and reporting improved, so more weak tornadoes show up in recent years than in the 1950s. The year with the most in California was 2005, with 30.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 57 |
| Feb | 69 |
| Mar | 86 |
| Apr | 59 |
| May | 41 |
| Jun | 13 |
| Jul | 17 |
| Aug | 21 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 19 |
| Nov | 33 |
| Dec | 47 |
Strongest tornadoes that touched California
- California tornado9 February 1978, F3, 6 injuries, 2 miles long
- California tornado16 August 1973, F3, 0.1 miles long
- California tornado5 April 1980, F2, 1 injury, 15 miles long
- California tornado1 June 1958, F2, 15 miles long
- California tornado5 September 2020, EF2, 12 miles long
- California tornado7 November 1966, F2, 10 injuries, 10.3 miles long
Most recent tornadoes in California
- California tornado1 April 2025, EF0, 0.9 miles long
- California tornado13 March 2025, EF0, 1 miles long
- California tornado13 February 2025, EF0, 0.6 miles long
- California tornado3 January 2025, Unknown rating, 0.8 miles long
- California tornado14 December 2024, EF1, 5 injuries, 0.3 miles long
Many of these tornadoes killed or injured people. The numbers are the official record's, and they may be revised.
California counties
Every county that a tornado has touched is listed, most tornadoes first. 39 of them have at least 3 tornadoes and their own page.