Twister, California's first of 2025, touches down near Shasta County

A strong thunderstorm birthed a rare tornado on Friday evening near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, close to the Shasta County border, according to meteorologists.

Scientists will study video and weather information where the twister touched down in the wilderness, about 8 miles northeast of Dairyville and 10 miles east of Cottonwood, the National Weather Service said.

The tornado developed between 5:18 and 5:21 p.m., prompting the weather service to issue a tornado warning for both counties by 5:22 p.m. Reports came to the agency almost immediately from a weather “spotter,” and webcams caught the event as it happened, said meteorologist Johnnie Powell at the weather service’s Sacramento branch.

As of 8: 45 p.m., there were no reports the twister injured anyone, or that it damaged any homes or businesses, according to the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Services.

The North State has the dubious honor of having the first tornado of 2025 in California, possibly in the whole country, Powell said.

It was also the latest of at least 12 tornadoes spotted in Tehama County in 76 years, according to weather experts.

Here’s what we know about Friday’s tornado, and other North State twisters.

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How a tornado grew over Tehama County

The thunderstorm that brought hail and heavy rain to the northern Sacramento Valley Friday evening, also triggered the twister, Powell said.

Tornadoes form when air, blowing in different directions, rises up in a thunderstorm and begins to spin, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

The storm dissipated late Friday evening, Powell said, and the Redding area should be mostly dry this weekend and next week, with sunny skies.

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How big and fast was the tornado?

Meteorologists have yet to learn how strong Friday’s tornado was, and how fast the wind was, Powell said.

The weather service could announce those answers as soon as Saturday, but first scientists need to look at the extent of the damage in daylight, Powell said: Are there overturned trees? What does the tornado’s path on the ground look like? Those things will give scientists the clues they need to come up with those answers.

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“Even in Kansas, you have to wait” for tornado details, Powell said.

How many tornadoes formed over Northern California?

A tornado forming over the North State is a rare event, but not unheard of.

Tehama County had the most tornadoes — a total of 11 twisters — between 1950 and 2024, according to Golden Gate Weather Services consulting firm. Two of those tornadoes formed at the same time of year: Jan. 4, 2021. The most recent tornado reported by Golden Gate was on April 25, 2021.

All three twisters in 2021 were very weak (EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale). That means the tornadoes’ winds ranged between 65-85 mph, according to the weather service. At those speeds, EF0 tornadoes may knock a few shingles off a roof, damage gutters and push loose items like lawn furniture around. Compare that to the strongest tornadoes (EF5), with winds moving at more than 200 mph.

During the same 75-year period, one tornado was spotted in Siskiyou County and four in Lassen, but none spun their way into Shasta or Trinity counties, Golden Gate reported.

The county with the most tornadoes sightings (49) between 1950 to 2024 is also one of the most densely populated. It was Los Angeles County.

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Where to read more about tornadoes in California

To learn more about tornadoes, see the weather service’s tornado information website at weather.gov/ffc/torntext and UCAR’s tornado website at scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/storms/how-tornadoes-form.

Go to Golden Gate Weather’s website to read a history of known tornadoes in California ggweather.com/ca_tornado.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Tornado near Shasta County rare but not uncommon in California

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