Rare tornado touches down in NorCal during wild weather weekend

Jim Harrington, The Mercury News on Apr 12, 2026

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A tornado touched down on Sunday afternoon as part of the wild weekend weather happening throughout Northern California.

The tornado only touched down for a brief moment — roughly for one minute, from 2:05 to 2:06 p.m. — according to the National Weather Service.

It occurred in an unpopulated, rural area in Tehama County, about four miles southeast of Vina. The county has a population of approximately 66,000 (based on a 2020 census) and its largest city is Red Bluff.

The tornado was of unknown strength. Authorities determined the existence of the tornado through a combination of radar, video and webcam footage.

No damage or injuries were reported. The peak wind gust, path width and length are all unknown.

“Based upon the fact that there have been no damage or injury reports received as a result of the tornado, and that there is no evidence that it impacted any structure from the video, there will not a be a damage survey team sent to the area — as there is no damage to survey,” according to a statement from the National Weather Service office in Sacramento.

California averages nine tornadoes per year, with most occurring in the Central Valley, according to the National Weather Service.