Tornado touches down in Northern California
On Jan. 3, the first tornado of the year occurred in Paynes Creek in Tehama County, California. After a large thunderstorm with high winds, these conditions caused a tornado to develop between 5:18 to 5:21 p.m.
Since there were no injuries or damage in Tehama, the tornado was not rated, so it is labeled as an EF-unknown. People in the area were advised to stay indoors and away from windows so as to avoid any harm. The tornado was first caught on a wildfire alert camera.
Tornadoes occurring in California account for less than one percent of all tornadoes nationwide and they are usually categorized as EF-unknown because they are always weak. Tornadoes arise when winds from different directions interact with each other. Usually, tornadoes are most common in fall and spring months, however, they can arise at any time.
With no warning of the tornado, and a less than 1 percent chance of it occurring that day, the small twister was unexpected. While the tornado was already in trajectory, the National Weather Service [NWS] sent out a late warning. Usually for bigger tornadoes, warnings are sent out 15 to 20 minutes in advance, giving people enough time to prepare. The tornado traveled a total of 0.8 miles and lasted a total of three minutes, with winds reaching above 30 miles per hour. These winds were accompanied with penny-sized pieces of hail. Most tornadoes last a total of 5 to 10 minutes in total, meaning that this tornado did not last very long.
With tornadoes being extremely rare in California, this was the twelfth tornado in Tehama county in 76 years, according to the NWS. In 2024, California was hit with a total of three tornadoes all being very small with no dangerous impact on the surrounding areas.
