Funnel Cloud Spotted Near Firebaugh as Tornado Warnings Hit Fresno County

A funnel cloud spotted north of Firebaugh set off a National Weather Service tornado warning Thursday evening for southwestern Madera County and western Fresno County, as an unusually volatile spring storm tracked northeast through the agricultural flats of the Central Valley carrying the threat of quarter-size hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph.

The warning was triggered after the NWS detected a severe thunderstorm near South Dos Palos tracking northeast at 15 mph. By the time the alert went out, the storm had closed to within 7 miles west of Firebaugh and 28 miles west of Madera, placing it over largely rural terrain in the heart of the warned zone. Public reports of a funnel cloud north of Firebaugh corroborated what radar rotation alone was indicating. The warning was set to expire at 6:15 p.m. The NWS canceled it shortly before that mark after determining the tornado threat had diminished.

The cancellation brought limited relief. Severe thunderstorms continued pushing across the region after the warning lapsed, and forecasters maintained the threat of quarter-size hail capable of damaging vehicles, considerable tree damage, and structural harm to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. Dangerous flying debris remained a concern with gusts forecast at 70 mph.

The warned zone covers predominantly agricultural ground: field crop operations, irrigation infrastructure, equipment sheds, and the small rural communities concentrated along the western edge of Fresno County. Firebaugh, a small agricultural city along the San Joaquin River, sat near the center of the threat corridor. Mobile home parks scattered across western Fresno County face the highest structural vulnerability during wind events of this intensity, as do low-profile farm buildings typically left unanchored during the growing season.

Tornadoes and funnel clouds remain relatively uncommon across much of California, and the NWS characterized Thursday's system as an unusually volatile spring storm for the region. The atmospheric pattern driving it was expected to persist through the weekend, with meteorologists warning of continued lightning, hail, strong wind gusts, and isolated funnel clouds.

No damage had been reported as of Thursday evening. The NWS guidance during a tornado warning directs residents to move immediately to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows, and remain sheltered until the warning is lifted.