Alert archive / California / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Eureka, CA

January 3, 2026Humboldt County, California

NWS Eureka, CA issued this tornado warning at Jan 3, 2026, 11:18 AM PST for Humboldt County, California. It was in force for 12 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jan 3, 2026, 11:18 AM PST (19:18 UTC)
Expired
Jan 3, 2026, 11:30 AM PST
In force
12 min
Issued by
NWS Eureka, CA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Humboldt County, CA

The radar

The Eureka (Bunker Hill) radar (KBHX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:22 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 3, 11:23 AM PSTTSTM WND DMG2 N Shelter Cove, CATree down on King Peak Road blocking a quarter of the roadway.
Jan 3, 11:30 AM PSTTSTM WND DMG3 Ene Shelter Cove, CAMany branches and a couple small trees down along Shelter Cove Road between Shelter Cove and Briceland.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Oakland, CA (KOAK), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 305 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Oakland, CA at 12:00Z on 2026-01-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 22 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Oakland, CA at 12:00Z on 2026-01-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 116 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
803 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

351 
WFUS56 KEKA 031918
TOREKA
CAC023-031930-
/O.NEW.KEKA.TO.W.0001.260103T1918Z-260103T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Eureka CA
1118 AM PST Sat Jan 3 2026

The National Weather Service in Eureka has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  South Central Humboldt County in northwestern California...

* Until 1130 AM PST.

* At 1118 AM PST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located near Shelter Cove, moving north at 60 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
           to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
           likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Shelter Cove and Ettersburg.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4009 12410 4017 12410 4014 12397 4000 12401
      4000 12402 4002 12404 4002 12405 4003 12406
      4002 12407 4003 12408 4007 12408
TIME...MOT...LOC 1918Z 183DEG 50KT 4008 12408

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<1.00 IN

$$

RPA
1 follow-up statement
561 
WWUS56 KEKA 031927
SVSEKA

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Eureka CA
1127 AM PST Sat Jan 3 2026

CAC023-031937-
/O.EXP.KEKA.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260103T1930Z/
Humboldt CA-
1127 AM PST Sat Jan 3 2026

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 1130 AM PST FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
HUMBOLDT COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

&&

LAT...LON 4009 12410 4017 12410 4014 12397 4000 12401
      4000 12402 4002 12404 4002 12405 4003 12406
      4002 12407 4003 12408 4007 12408
TIME...MOT...LOC 1918Z 183DEG 50KT 4009 12408

$$

RPA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Eureka, CA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 2, 10:46 PM PSTStorm WarningEKA24 hr
Jan 2, 11:45 PM PSTWinter Storm WarningEKA64 hr
Jan 3, 5:28 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAHumboldt32 min
Jan 3, 5:56 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAHumboldt34 min
Jan 3, 6:06 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA39 min
Jan 3, 6:52 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA53 min
Jan 3, 7:45 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA60 min
Jan 3, 8:52 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA23 min
Jan 3, 9:29 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA16 min
Jan 3, 9:33 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA42 min
Jan 3, 10:07 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA38 min
Jan 3, 10:11 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA34 min
Jan 3, 10:16 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA44 min
Jan 3, 10:40 AM PSTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatEKAHumboldt35 min
Jan 3, 11:01 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAHumboldt29 min
Jan 3, 11:03 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA27 min
Jan 3, 11:05 AM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA25 min
Jan 3, 11:10 AM PSTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatEKAHumboldt35 min
Jan 3, 11:25 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAHumboldt35 min
Jan 3, 11:27 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAMendocino33 min
Jan 3, 11:30 AM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryEKAHumboldt31 hr
Jan 3, 11:52 AM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryEKAMendocino4 hr
Jan 3, 11:59 AM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKATrinity61 min
Jan 3, 12:01 PM PSTAreal Flood AdvisoryEKAHumboldt4 hr
Jan 3, 12:24 PM PSTFlash Flood WarningEKAHumboldt4 hr
Jan 3, 12:32 PM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA13 min
Jan 3, 12:36 PM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKA24 min
Jan 3, 12:55 PM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA35 min
Jan 3, 12:56 PM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAMendocino34 min
Jan 3, 1:28 PM PSTSpecial Weather StatementEKAMendocino32 min
Jan 3, 3:35 PM PSTSpecial Marine WarningEKA11 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in California, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.