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Storm clouds move across the Sacramento Valley near Vina on Sunday, April 12, 2026, where a brief tornado touched down in Tehama County. The National Weather Service in Sacramento said the tornado was on the ground for about one minute in a rural, grassland area and no injuries or damage were reported.<\/p>\n
AlertCalifornia\/UC San Diego<\/p>\n
A brief tornado touched down Sunday afternoon in a remote area of Northern California, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.<\/p>\n
Meteorologists determined that a tornado of unknown strength was on the ground<\/a> for about one minute, from approximately 2:05 p.m. to 2:06 p.m. Sunday in Tehama County, based on video and radar evidence.<\/p>\n According to meteorologists, the tornado occurred about 4 miles southeast of Vina in a rural, unpopulated grassland area, about 15 miles north of Chico and about 100 miles north of Sacramento.<\/p>\n No damage or injuries were reported.<\/p>\n Video footage from AlertCalifornia PG&E cameras and social media helped confirm the brief touchdown, which was reviewed in coordination with the Tehama County Sheriff\u2019s Office of Emergency Services, the weather service said.<\/p>\n The Enhanced Fujita scale classifies tornadoes from EF0 to EF5<\/a> based on estimated wind speeds and damage. An EF0 tornado has winds of 65-85 mph and typically causes minor damage, while an EF5 tornado exceeds 200 mph and can level well-built structures. Officials said the lack of damage in this case prevented a more precise rating, resulting in an EF-U, or unknown, classification.<\/p>\n \u201cBased upon the fact that no damage or injuries were reported as a result of the tornado, there will not be a damage team sent to the area \u2014 as there is no damage to survey,\u201d the weather service said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cThe path width, path length and peak wind gusts are all unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n Tornadoes are not uncommon in California, though they are typically weak and short-lived.<\/p>\n Between 1950 and 2024, there were 478 tornadoes recorded statewide<\/a>, according to Golden Gate Weather Services, operated by meteorologist Jan Null. The majority \u2014 more than 400 \u2014 were rated EF0 or EF1.<\/p>\n In Tehama County, 11 tornadoes were recorded during that period, including six EF0, two EF2 and three classified as EF-U, or unknown strength.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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