Tornado Confirmed in Northern California

A winter storm in Northern California spawned a tornado on Friday, setting off a warning for people to seek shelter urgently.

The tornado was confirmed around 5:30 p.m. local time near Paynes Creek and Shingletown, the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office said in an alert on Friday. A tornado warning, which indicates an imminent life-threatening danger, was active until 6 p.m., the alert said.

The Weather Service shared a video captured by the University of California, San Diego, of a tornado passing a grassy area.

The warning urged residents to take cover because flying debris and damage to property was expected. The alert covered parts of Tehama and Shasta counties with an estimated population of 2,200 people, according to the Weather Service.

A winter storm that brought heavy snow and strong wind gusts spawned the tornado, said Katrina Hand, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. There were no reports of injuries or damage, she added. A winter storm warning was active throughout the day, with eight to 12 inches of snow in areas above 5,500 feet and quarter-size hail forecast.

Tornadoes are not uncommon for that part of California and the storms in the region this time of year, Ms. Hand said. She added that the state averages about 10 tornadoes annually, most commonly in the northern half of the Central Valley, where the tornado was observed on Friday.

Less than a month earlier, the National Weather Service issued its first-ever tornado warning for San Francisco. The city was spared, but one touched down in nearby Santa Cruz County, where it downed power lines and caused vehicle crashes.