Two tornadoes were reported in California’s Central Valley on Tuesday as powerful storms moved through, and the National Weather Service said its experts were on the way to the scene to assess damage.
Nick Daer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Hanford, Calif., said a resident made the first report of a tornado to local emergency officials at 2:12 p.m., saying that a funnel cloud had touched down near the town of Biola, nine miles west of Fresno.
Another tornado was reported at 5:16 p.m. on the other side of Fresno, nine miles northeast of Clovis.
The Weather Service initially said the first tornado was on the ground up to 10 minutes after the report but later said forecasters were still investigating.
“We can’t officially call it a tornado until we get additional information,” said Brian Ochs, a meteorologist at the Weather Service in Hanford. A funnel cloud is officially called a tornado if it touches the ground.
Whether or not a tornado is confirmed, the storms brought strong winds and reports of hail. The Weather Service said there had been reports of broken tree branches and damage to cars because of downed trees.
The Clovis Unified School District said students had briefly sheltered in place as the severe weather moved through.
Tornadoes are unusual in California, but they do occur from time to time. Since 1950, there have been 487 tornadoes in the state, according to data from Golden Gate Weather Services.
The last time a notable tornado touched down in the Fresno area was Jan. 16, 2019, in Clovis. That one was classified as a one on the five-point Enhanced Fujita scale.
The tornado was reported on Tuesday as a storm system off the Pacific Ocean moved across California. Rain fell over coastal areas and snow dumped in the Sierra Nevada.
The unsettled weather also brought a chance of thunderstorms, particularly in the Central Valley, and there were multiple reports of hail. The Weather Service warned of a very small tornado risk in the Central Valley.
Mr. Daer said that in the Fresno area, rain fell in the morning and skies had partially cleared in the afternoon, allowing for some warming.
“That combination of a moist environment and warming air created the conditions for a tornado to form,” he said.
The system will move out of California on Wednesday, with some lingering snow and rain showers before the weather dries up.
Amy Graff is a Times reporter covering weather, wildfires and earthquakes.
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