First Tornado of 2025 Confirmed in California

California recorded its first tornado of 2025 on Friday evening in Tehama County, which was confirmed by the National Weather Service. The brief tornado touched down between 5:18 p.m. and 5:21 p.m. and traveled approximately 0.8 miles in an unpopulated area, with no reported damage or injuries. Meteorologist Courtney Carpenter indicated that the tornado was preliminarily rated as EF-U (unknown) due to the absence of damage to assess its strength. A tornado warning was issued shortly after the tornado was observed, following radar detection of weak rotation in a storm cell. This event highlights the state's diverse weather patterns, especially during winter storms that can spawn tornadoes, despite California averaging about 10 tornadoes annually, mostly weaker ones. The National Weather Service noted that further updates on the tornado's classification may occur if additional information arises.