Rare Tornado Touches Down in Western NY
The first confirmed tornado of 2026 in New York State has officially been recorded—and it happened in Western New York.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, an EF-1 tornado touched down on Tuesday, March 31st, packing peak winds of 107 miles per hour.
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Tornado Touched Down for 3 Minutes
While tornadoes in New York are still considered relatively rare, the number of tornadoes has clearly been trending upward over time. Back in the 1950s, the state averaged just over one tornado per year.
Check out the video posted by Buffalo Weather, recorded in Western New York on Tuesday.
Tornado Frequency in New York State
That number steadily increased through the decades, and since 1990, New York has averaged more than 16 tornadoes annually…