First tornado of the year touches down in Tehama County, California
The first tornado of 2025 in the U.S. was reported in Tehama County, California on Friday, January 3, 2024
EF-U tornado in California. Image credit: NWS Sacramento
A major winter storm impacting much of the U.S. spawned the first confirmed tornado of 2025 that touched down in Tehama County on Friday, January 3, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The tornado touched down at 17:18 local time (LT) about 13 km (8 miles) NE of Dairyville. Accompanied by quarter-sized hail, it traversed a 1.2 km (0.8 miles) long track through an unpopulated area for roughly three minutes.
The tornado was rated an EF-U as its strength and peak wind speeds were unknown and no damage associated with it was reported.
The NWS issued a tornado warning for Shingletown, Manton, and Paynes Creek due to the tornado at 17:22 LT on Friday.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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