List of Alaska tornadoes

Tornadoes in the U.S. state of Alaska are extremely rare, with only seven tornadoes and 33 funnel clouds ever recorded within state boundaries. The most recent whirlwind event was a funnel cloud that occurred on July 4, 2026, near Cantwell, Alaska. Out of the seven tornadoes that have been recorded, all were rated FU, EFU, F0 or EF0, and none have caused significant damage or injuries.

Climatology

Thunderstorms are fairly rare in most of Alaska but do occur in the interior in the summer with some frequency and may cause wildfires. Anchorage gets a thunderstorm every few years. There has even been the rare thunderstorm in Utqiaġvik on the Arctic coast. While weak tornadoes and waterspouts, while extremely rare, do sometimes occur, Alaska is considered the least tornado-prone state in the United States.

Events

F/EF# Date Type Path length Deaths Injuries Ref.
F0 November 4, 1959 Tornado 0 0
F0 August 26, 1976 Tornado 0 0
FU August 22, 2000 Waterspout 0 0
A pilot reported a brief waterspout approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Yakutat.
F0 June 14, 2004 Tornado 0 0
F0 June 18, 2004 Tornado 0 0
EF0 August 1, 2009 Tornado 0 0
EFU September 24, 2010 Waterspout 0 0
A strong storm system moved into the Gulf of Alaska on September 24, producing a doppler-indicated waterspout off the coast of Cape Edgecumbe.
EF0 April 19, 2024 Landspout 0.01 miles (0.016 km) 0 0
A weak landspout briefly touched the ground near Rusty Point.

Tornadoes


Waterspouts

References

  1. ↑ "A Clap of Thunder". www.john-daly.com.
  2. ↑ "Event Report: Waterspout". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Event Report: Waterspout". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Event Report: EF0 Landspout". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Sistek, Scott (April 25, 2024). "Rare tornado spotted in Alaska's Chugach State Park may only be state's 5th on record". FOX Weather. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Storm Events Database | National Centers for Environmental Information". www.ncdc.noaa.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Storm Prediction Center Maps, Graphics, and Data Page". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ Branches of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Weather Service; National Severe Storms Laboratory (2024). "Damage Assessment Toolkit". DAT. United States Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Landspout tornado spotted near Rusty Point on April 19th! These events, while not rare, go mostly unnoticed due to our topographically diverse area. Credit to Geremy Clarion who captured these pictures". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Sistek, Scott (April 25, 2024). "Rare tornado spotted in Alaska's Chugach State Park may only be state's 5th on record". FOX Weather. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ NWS Alaska https://www.weather.gov/afc/July_4_Denali_Highway_funnel_cloud. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ "Data submission – Tornado Archive". May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.