Rare tornado threat issued in three US states with forecasters warning of dangerous
A million Americans have been warned that they may see a rare tornado touch down in just hours as a major storm moves over the West Coast.
The National Weather Service has warned that residents in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are in the risk zone for tornado activity starting Thursday afternoon local time and lasting throughout the night.
Major cities including Washington state‘s Spokane and Yakima, Boise, Idaho and Bend, Oregon have been warned of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and large hail lasting into early Friday morning.
Bend, Oregon, Washington state’s Kennewick, Richland and Pasco, and Lewiston, Idaho are the most likely communities to see a tornado form, although NWS has called the overall chance of this happening ‘slight.’
Meteorologists estimated that more than two million people are in the path of the most severe weather, including hailstones that could potentially shatter glass and damage cars or injure people caught outdoors.
More than 900,000 are estimated to be in the zone most likely to see a supercell, a rare and extreme thunderstorm capable of producing tornadoes that topple trees or tear apart roofs.
Severe wind gusts have also been predicted to reach 85 mph, which would equal the strength of a Category 1 hurricane.
It is extremely rare for a tornado to touch down in the Pacific Northwest, with both Oregon and Washington state seeing only one to three twisters form each year.
Pictured: A tornado touching down in the US Midwest. The National Weather Service has warned of a slight tornado risk in Washington, Oregon and Idaho on Thursday (Stock Image)
Tornadoes in the Pacific Northwest are extremely rare with only one to three reported every year in both Washington and Oregon
Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that swirl down to the ground. They can vary in strength and destructiveness, from weak ones that cause minor damage to roofs, all the way up to powerful monsters that can completely destroy well-built homes and flip cars.
They are measured in terms of their wind strength, going from EF0, with moderately damaging winds under 85mph, to the most powerful EF5, which exceeds 200mph and can rip buildings off their foundations.
The NWS forecast has predicted that Thursday’s winds will reach between 60 and 85 mph, suggesting that if a tornado does touch down, it would be a smaller and less life-threatening event.
The storm has been fueled by a low pressure system parked high in the atmosphere over central California, with bands of rising air on its northern side supporting thunderstorm development.
Near surface level, a deepening low pressure area, known as a trough, is expected to move from eastern Oregon into southern Washington.
This will act like an air pressure highway that helps thunderstorms develop and line up along the trough, especially as the air heats up during the afternoon when storms are expected to begin.
In their official alert, NWS stated: ‘Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible over western Idaho and east of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon. Severe gusts (60-85 mph), large hail, and perhaps a tornado are the forecast hazards this afternoon through the late evening.’
Parts of northern Nevada and western Montana are also expected to be in the path of the severe winds forming Thursday, adding another 500,000 people to the impact zone.
Pictured: Lightning strikes Boise, Idaho during a thunderstorm. Boise is expected to be in the path of Thursday’s extreme weather (Stock Image)
Pictured: Hail, described as larger than baseballs, was previously reported across several states, including in Missouri, this month (Stock Image)
According to AccuWeather, only two tornadoes were reported in 2025. Two more touched down in Idaho, and none were reported in Washington state.
Although forecasters warned that tornado risks are moving outside of what has been referred to as ‘Tornado Alley’ and towards more heavily populated sections of the US, fewer twisters are expected to hit the country this year.
AccuWeather’s severe weather predictions have called for up to 500 fewer tornadoes in 2026 compared to last year.
However, Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter warned in a statement that a tornado can touch down in any state regardless of where Tornado Alley shifts.
‘It’s important to understand about the tornado hazard that there is a risk anywhere in the US, and you have to have a simple plan about what you and your family or your business will do if you’re immediately threatened by a tornado,’ he said.
‘Sometimes, you only have a matter of a couple of minutes to react, so I always tell people a little bit of planning goes a long way. Simply talk with your family about the safest part of your house to take shelter.’