San Jose State grad captures funnel cloud on video

Severe weather continued across Northern California on Sunday with tornado warnings.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 4:25pm

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A sweeping, atmospheric landscape painting depicting a massive, swirling funnel cloud dominating the skyline over a rural countryside, conveying the overwhelming power of extreme weather.A recent graduate's firsthand video of a rare funnel cloud sighting in Northern California underscores the region's unpredictable severe weather.San Jose Today

A recent graduate of San Jose State University's Meteorology and Climate Sciences Department, Maritza Arreola, captured video of a funnel cloud in Tehama County near Vina, California on Sunday afternoon. The clip shows a possible brief touchdown before the funnel cloud begins to lift upward and dissipate.

Why it matters

Funnel cloud sightings are relatively rare in Northern California, and this video provides a firsthand account of the severe weather conditions that impacted the region over the weekend.

The details

Arreola's video shows a funnel cloud forming and briefly touching down before lifting back up into the sky. Tornado warnings were issued for parts of Northern California on Sunday as severe thunderstorms moved through the area.

  • Arreola captured the funnel cloud video on Sunday afternoon.

The players

Maritza Arreola

A recent graduate of San Jose State University's Meteorology and Climate Sciences Department.

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The takeaway

This video serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and powerful nature of severe weather, even in areas not typically associated with tornado activity.