Two tornadoes were reported near Fresno on April 21, 2026, as the National Weather Service warned of powerful storms moving through the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first tornado was reported near Biola, about nine miles west of Fresno, at 2:12 p.m., according to The New York Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Citing a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS), the NYT said<\/a> a funnel cloud was reported by a resident to local emergency services.\u00a0<\/p>\n NWS issued a tornado warning for the areas including Old Fig Garden, Biola, and Rolling Hills until 2:45 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another tornado was reported at around 5:15 p.m., about 35 miles northeast of Fresno, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Citing NWS, the report said<\/a> residents saw the tornado moving nine miles northeast of Clovis, moving northeast at 20 miles per hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n The tornado caused damage consistent with an EF1 tornado, meteorologist Chris Nunley shared in a social media post. Citing an NWS update, Nunley said the tornado caused uprooted trees and snapped branches.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Enhanced Fujita Scale<\/a>, or EF Scale, is a five-point rating to assign a tornado based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. An EF1 tornado typically has wind gusts ranging from 65 to 86 mph and damages small barns and farm outbuildings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Later in the day, NWS issued another tornado warning for the regions including Auberry and Tollhouse until 5:45 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n Confirming the tornado<\/a>, NWS said storms had strengthened earlier in the day west-northwest of Fresno, including one that resulted in the tornado, and was shifting toward the southern Sierra.\u00a0<\/p>\n A new thunderstorm development was forming southwest of Madera and gaining strength as the atmosphere became increasingly unstable during the peak heating period in the afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n Weather data showed that a zone of converging winds was developing near north of Fresno, which could enable the strong movement of more storms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although tornadoes are relatively unusual in California, they occur from time to time. The state has experienced 487 tornadoes between 1950 and 2025<\/a>, according to the Golden Gate Weather Services.\u00a0<\/p>\n