Honestly, when you think of Oregon, you're probably thinking about misty Douglas firs, overpriced pour-over coffee, or maybe an earthquake. You aren't thinking about a funnel cloud ripping through a coastal town. But social media has been buzzing today about a tornado in Oregon today, and frankly, the reality is a lot less dramatic than the rumors, though still pretty weird for January.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has actually issued no tornado warnings for Oregon today, January 16, 2026.
If you're looking out your window in Portland or Eugene right now, you're probably seeing exactly what the sensors are reporting: sunny skies and a biting chill. It is currently a crisp 30°F in much of the state. The wind is barely a whisper, coming from the west at just 1 mph. That is not exactly "twister" weather.
Why everyone is talking about Oregon tornadoes right now
So, where is the noise coming from? It’s a mix of a real geological event and some very strange "what-if" scenarios floating around the internet.
First off, we actually did have a major event today, just not a wind-based one. A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Oregon early this morning. It was centered about 295 km west of Bandon. When something that big happens, people get jumpy. They start searching for "natural disasters in Oregon," and suddenly, old reports of rare winter tornadoes start trending again.
Then there’s the "Hypothetical Tornadoes" wiki. If you've spent any time on deep-dive weather forums, you might have seen a terrifying report about an EF4 tornado hitting Salem and Rosedale in 2026.
Let's be clear: that is 100% fictional. It's a creative writing project. But because the date on that fictional entry says "April 2026," and we are currently in January 2026, the algorithms are getting confused. You've got people seeing "2026 Oregon Tornado" and panicking before they realize they're reading a weather nerd's fan-fiction.
The real (and rare) history of Oregon twisters
Even though there isn't a tornado in Oregon today, these things do happen here. They just don't look like the monsters you see in Kansas.
In Oregon, we usually deal with "cold core" tornadoes. They are small. They are brief. They usually pop up along the coast when a nasty Pacific storm slams into the shore. Think of the 2016 Manzanita tornado. That was an EF2—which is huge for us—and it destroyed 128 homes in about two minutes.
We actually saw some rare January activity earlier this week across the U.S., which has everyone on edge. States like Pennsylvania and even Hawaii have had weird winter touchdowns lately. Oregon averages about three tornadoes a year. Most of them are EF0s that knock over a few fences in a field in Umatilla County and then vanish.
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What the weather actually looks like today
If you're worried about the sky falling, take a breath. Here is the actual data for today, Friday, January 16:
- Current Temp: 30°F
- Sky: Sunny (for now)
- High: 45°F
- Low: 19°F
- Precipitation: 0% chance during the day; maybe a 5% dusting of snow tonight.
- Wind: Northwest at 3 mph.
Basically, it's a "stay inside and drink cocoa" kind of day, not a "hide in the basement" kind of day. The real hazard right now isn't wind; it's the Air Stagnation Advisory. The air is heavy and still, trapping pollutants near the ground. If you have asthma, that’s a way bigger threat to your Friday than a hypothetical tornado.
Moving forward: Stay ready, not scared
Since we live in a state where 6.0 earthquakes happen before breakfast, being prepared is just part of the rent.
Don't get your weather news from TikTok or weird wikis. If you want to stay safe, check the NWS Portland or Medford offices directly. They are the only ones who can actually confirm a tornado in Oregon today or any other day.
If you're on the coast, keep an eye on the ocean. Most of our "tornadoes" actually start as waterspouts. If you see a column of spray moving toward the beach, that's your cue to move inland. For the rest of today, just watch out for ice on the roads tonight as that low of 19°F kicks in.
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Stick to the verified feeds. If the NWS hasn't tweeted it, it's probably just internet noise. Keep your emergency kit stocked—mostly for the earthquakes—and enjoy the rare January sunshine while it lasts.
To stay updated on the earthquake aftershocks or changing air quality levels, you can monitor the official NWS Oregon hazard map for real-time alerts.