The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Hanford, California has confirmed a possible tornado sighting near Biola, just nine miles west of Fresno. The funnel cloud was reported to the NWS by a local resident at 2:12 pm local time.
A photo and video of the likely twister near Clovis, just north of Fresno, were shared on social media by a storm chaser. The tornado was spotted near Shaw Avenue and Highway 99.
The Clovis Unified School District in Fresno, located near the area where the tornado was sighted, was briefly shut down due to the warning.
Tornadoes in California form when strong Pacific storm systems create unstable air and wind shear, especially during winter and spring. Though rare, areas like the Central Valley can occasionally see brief tornadoes when these conditions align.
