MADERA, Calif. – A unexpected tornado was recently witnessed by the citizens of San Joaquin Valley. While the forecasters were busy tracking a storm system that produced blizzard conditions in the Sierra Nevada with the potential for feet of snow and wind gusts to hurricane strength, it wasn’t something that the people of Sab Joaquin Valley thought they will be witnessing.
During a slug of moisture that was inbound to the mountain range, enough shear was present for rotation, which created a funnel cloud which later turned troublesome for the people. According to the depiction of rotation on doppler radar and reports from weather spotters, the National Weather Service office in Hanford, California, issued a series of Tornado Warnings. It was suggested for the people of Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties in the central part of the state.
NWS meteorologists warned those in the storm’s path to take cover and move to a basement. They suggested the people to move to the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Despite the alerts, residents from all over the San Joaquin Valley took photos and videos of the funnel and the subsequent tornado. The tornado worked northbound through properties that were used for both residential and agricultural purposes. No injuries were reported associated with the event, and it was thought the twister was only briefly on the ground.
Tornadoes in the Golden State are quite unlikely and less rare than one would think. According to data from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, California sees around ten tornadoes a year. It has been on an uptick when compared to previous decades. So far this year, the Madera tornado was the fourth to be reported. It was along with the other events occurring in the San Luis Obispo region during February during an atmospheric river event.
The NWS representatives that covers the Madera region said it plans to survey the region on Saturday to determine how widespread the damage was. It was also to determine the strength of the tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Late on Friday evening, meteorologists received a report of damage to a local elementary school of the location. Madera is located in the San Joaquin Valley and is bordered by the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the east.