The most recent widely reported tornado in California touched down near Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County on the afternoon of December 15, 2024.

Quick answer

  • A confirmed or apparent tornado hit the Scotts Valley area (about 30 miles south of San Jose) at roughly 1:40 p.m. local time on December 15, 2024.
  • Reports describe cars flipped and several people taken to the hospital, consistent with a damaging but localized tornado event.
  • As of the latest publicly discussed events, this December 15, 2024 Scotts Valley tornado is the last widely documented tornado occurrence in California.

Extra context

  • California averages several mostly weak tornadoes each year, often short‑lived and embedded in winter storms rather than the classic Great Plains “supercell” setups.
  • Historical records and archives show dozens of tornadoes since 1950 across many California counties, though strong ones are rare compared with the central United States.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.