EF0 tornado in Santa Cruz County, California

Waterspout moved onshore along West Cliff Drive, just west of Woodrow Ave. As it moved onshore, it picked up a construction sign, and tossed it into the mailbox across the street. It also topped two agave cacti in the driveway, before hitting two trees, stripping several small and large limbs off of these trees before dissipating.

A vigorous cold front swept through California on January 5th bringing widespread rainfall and gusty winds. Unstable air behind the frontal passage and sufficient low level shear allowed shallow thunderstorms to develop over the coastal waters, some of which contained rotating cells. Two waterspouts developed and made landfall as tornadoes on the 6th. Additionally, heavy rainfall and strong winds caused roadway flooding, minor debris flows, and numerous downed trees across the region. This storm system caused two fatalities; one caused by a downed tree in Berkeley and another man died in Santa Rosa Creek due to rising waters.