Live Tornado Warning Alert: Track the Storm’s Path Now and Get Critical Safety Tips

Residents of California’s Central Coast woke up to an uncommon sight on their phones early Tuesday: a bright-red Tornado Warning from the National Weather Service (NWS). At 12:03 a.m. PDT, NWS Los Angeles issued the alert for southeastern San Luis Obispo County, including Arroyo Grande, Los Osos, Morro Bay and Grover Beach, after Doppler radar detected rotation within a fast-moving severe thunderstorm. Why this warning is unusual • California averages just a handful of weak tornadoes each year, and most occur in the Central Valley. Tornado warnings along the immediate Pacific coast are exceptionally rare, making Tuesday’s alert one of the few ever issued for San Luis Obispo County. • The culprit is a potent mid-latitude cyclone diving south out of the Gulf of Alaska. Strong upper-level winds are colliding with subtropical moisture to create wind shear more typical of the Great Plains spring season than coastal California in October. What the warning means • A Tornado Warning indicates that a tornado has either been sighted or radar shows strong rotation. People in the warned area should immediately move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. • The NWS bulletin also highlighted wind gusts up to 60 mph and pea-sized hail. Even if a tornado fails to materialize, damaging straight-line winds can uproot trees and topple power lines. Storm timeline and areas at risk 12:00–3:00 a.m. PDT – Rotating storm cells push across Morro Bay, Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande, prompting tornado and severe-thunderstorm warnings. 3:00–8:00 a.m. PDT – The squall line tracks southeast into Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, where evacuation warnings have been issued for recent wildfire burn scars because heavy rain could trigger debris flows. Morning–Afternoon – Additional thunderstorms redevelop as daytime heating interacts with the cold upper low, keeping a low-end tornado risk alive from the Central Coast to Los Angeles County. Safety tips during a tornado warning in California • Take it seriously. Radar-indicated circulation can spin up a brief tornado with little notice. • Shelter immediately on the lowest floor, away from windows. Do not attempt to open windows “to equalize pressure”—that’s a myth. • In mobile homes or vehicles, abandon them for a sturdy structure. If none is available, lie flat in a low spot and cover your head. • Keep a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio or wireless emergency alerts enabled on your phone; cell service can drop during high winds. • Avoid coastal piers and elevated roadways where winds are strongest. What comes next Meteorologists expect the parent low-pressure system to linger through Wednesday, with scattered thunderstorms and isolated tornado potential continuing statewide. The Storm Prediction Center has placed much of coastal Southern California under a Marginal Risk for severe weather. By Thursday, the system exits eastward, but chilly post-frontal air could produce small hail showers over the higher terrain. Climate context While California tornadoes remain uncommon, recent research shows that Western storms can briefly mimic their Midwest counterparts when strong Pacific jet-stream energy intersects a moisture-rich atmospheric river. October has become an increasingly volatile transition month, with record-warm ocean waters adding extra instability to incoming storms. How to stay informed • Follow @NWSLosAngeles and @NWSSanDiego on X (formerly Twitter) for real-time warning updates. • Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on smartphones and download the FEMA and Red Cross emergency apps. • Monitor road closures at Caltrans QuickMap and check utility outage maps before traveling. Bottom line A rare confluence of Pacific moisture and powerful upper-level winds has produced the most significant tornado threat the Central Coast has seen in years. Even if you’ve never experienced a tornado in California, treat every warning as life-threatening: seek shelter immediately, stay weather-aware and keep multiple ways to receive alerts as this dynamic October storm unfolds.