Last Friday, Tehama County in Northern California experienced an unusual weather event when a tornado touched down, drawing attention from both residents and meteorologists. CBS Sacramento reported that the National Weather Service confirmed the tornado's presence around 5:18 p.m. near Paynes Creek, and about 11 miles southwest of Shingletown. It traveled northeast at 20 miles per hour, with a duration of about three minutes and a path length of just under a mile.
A tornado warning was issued at 5:22 p.m. for north-central and south-central Tehama County, expiring at 6 p.m. The affected area was mostly unpopulated, and as a result, no damage reports were received. Due to the absence of damage, the tornado's rating could not be determined, as the scale relies on the impact to structures and landscapes, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, ABC10 highlighted the event's preliminary status and mentioned that the tornado appeared between Paynes Creek and areas 10 miles east of Cottonwood in Shasta County. The National Weather Service confirmed that the incident was recorded both on area webcams and radar, with details expected to be fully confirmed the following day.
Warnings for areas like Manton and Shingletown indicated the possibility of quarter-sized hail and winds up to 40 miles per hour. Residents in these areas were advised to seek shelter until the tornado warning expired at 7 p.m. The tornado, while unusual for the region, was part of a larger winter storm moving through the state, bringing additional rainfall and high winds to the interior, as well as snow to the Sierra, where a winter storm warning was in effect until 10 p.m. Preliminary reports suggest this was the first confirmed tornado of 2025 in the U.S., marking an early occurrence in the year's weather patterns.
Over 2,200 people, along with six schools, were within the tornado warning zone, indicating the potential for disruption despite the area's low population density. No damage was reported to the community's structures. As the storm system continued across California, the tornado event was noted as a rare occurrence in the weather history of Tehama and Shasta counties.
