If you felt a sudden jolt while sipping your morning coffee or noticed the blinds rattling for no apparent reason, you aren't crazy. It’s Northern California, after all. Earthquakes basically come with the lease here.
Honestly, the short answer is usually yes—because the ground is almost always moving. But if you’re asking about something big enough to knock over a picture frame or wake the neighbors, the situation today is a bit more specific.
Was there an earthquake in northern california today? As of today, January 17, 2026, the seismic sensors are picking up some chatter, but nothing that’s going to make national headlines.
The Latest Numbers from the USGS
According to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Berkeley Seismology Lab, several small tremors have popped up across the region. Just in the last 24 hours, we’ve seen a handful of "micro-quakes" that most people wouldn't even feel unless they were sitting perfectly still in a quiet room.
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The most notable recent activity happened near Avenal, where a magnitude 2.7 quake was reported on Friday evening. It struck around 7:40 p.m. with an epicenter about 7 miles north-northwest of town. It’s that classic Central/Northern crossover zone where things like to wiggle.
Recent Hits Near You
- The Geysers: This area is basically a popcorn machine for earthquakes. It’s normal to see dozens of tiny magnitude 1.0 to 2.2 hits here every single day because of the geothermal activity. Today is no different.
- Avenal Region: Besides that 2.7, there was a slightly larger magnitude 2.8 just a day prior. Seismologists call these clusters "swarms," but they don't necessarily mean a "Big One" is coming.
- Ferndale and the North Coast: A magnitude 2.5 popped up near Ferndale recently. This is right near the Mendocino Triple Junction—the spot where three tectonic plates are basically playing a high-stakes game of bumper cars.
Why Does Northern California Shake So Much?
It isn't just the San Andreas Fault. People love to blame that one big crack in the ground, but the reality is way more complicated.
Just this week, researchers from UC Davis and the USGS released a study about "hidden faults" under Northern California. They’ve been tracking these tiny, low-frequency earthquakes that are thousands of times less intense than what we feel. It turns out, there’s a piece of the North American plate that’s actually broken off and is being dragged down into the mantle. It’s sort of like a geologic car wreck happening in slow motion under our feet.
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The Mendocino Triple Junction is the real star of the show. It’s where the Pacific, North American, and Gorda plates meet. Because these plates move in different directions—some sliding past each other, some diving under—the North Coast gets a lot of "shaker" energy.
That Oregon Magnitude 6.0: Did You Feel It?
If you're in the far northern reaches of the state, like Crescent City or Eureka, you might still be thinking about the magnitude 6.0 that hit off the coast of Oregon yesterday.
Even though it was technically in Oregon waters (about 183 miles west of Bandon), it was felt by plenty of people in Northern California. The good news? No tsunami. The National Tsunami Warning Center cleared it pretty fast. But it served as a solid reminder that the Cascadia Subduction Zone is very much awake.
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What You Should Actually Do Right Now
Look, a magnitude 2.0 isn't a reason to panic. It’s barely a reason to look up from your phone. But since we are talking about was there an earthquake in northern california today, it’s a good excuse to do a quick 30-second safety check.
- Check your alerts. Make sure your phone has "Wireless Emergency Alerts" turned on. If you’re in California, you should definitely have the MyShake app downloaded. It can give you a few seconds of warning before the shaking starts, which is enough time to get under a sturdy desk.
- Look up, not down. Most injuries in California quakes aren't from the ground opening up; they're from stuff falling off shelves. If you have a heavy mirror hanging over your bed, maybe move it today.
- The "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" rule. Forget the doorway thing. That’s an old myth from back when houses were built differently. If things start shaking, get low and stay put.
Seismologists like David Shelly at the USGS often compare our fault systems to icebergs. We see a tiny bit of the movement on the surface, but there’s a massive, complex system of grinding rock miles beneath us.
If you felt something and don't see it on the "Latest Quakes" map yet, give it a few minutes. The USGS usually takes 5 to 10 minutes to process and post automated data, and then a real human seismologist has to review it to confirm the exact magnitude.
Next Step: Head over to the USGS "Did You Feel It?" page and report your experience if you felt today's tremors. It helps scientists map out exactly how the shaking travels through our specific local soil.