First tornado of the year strikes Canada

With plenty of severe weather and tornadoes south of the border in recent weeks, it was only a matter of time before some of that spilled into Canada as we get deeper into spring.

While Canada has had ample amounts of thunderstorm activity this spring, with some locales seeing cells reaching severe criteria, there hadn't been a confirmed tornado in 2025...until Saturday. The province that snagged the country's first twister in 2025 is Alberta. Meahwhile, it happened while other parts of the province were still dealing with snow.

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The landspout tornado, which doesn't originate from the same supercells that can produce destructive, and deadly, twisters, was captured in photo and video form on Saturday, April 12 before its official confirmation from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

The twister occurred northwest of Rolling Hills at approximately 5:20 p.m. MDT. ECCC noted that a brief tornado was observed approximately 10 km north of Rolling Hills. ECCC received multiple reports and photos, but there have been no reports of damage at this time. The tornado was given a preliminary rating of EF-0.

"This was considered a landspout tornado that was generated by weak rotation under rapidly growing clouds or weak thunderstorms. Landspout tornadoes do not usually cause significant damage but can still be dangerous as they can topple trees, damage roofs, or toss debris a short distance," said ECCC, in the summary of the tornado confirmation.

The environment

It was not a supercell environment on Saturday, but some Alberta magic was put on display. Very cool air aloft and surface heating mean the temperature drops quickly as you head aloft.

There was minimal convective available potential energy (CAPE), just a couple hundred joules, but that’s pretty typical in early-season setups.

With no supercell parameters lighting up, the setup just screamed of landspout potential, even with dew points below freezing.

It’s most likely this tornado formed along a boundary or a convergence zone, and turned into a visible funnel associated with rapidly developing updrafts.

Landspout versus supercell tornado

There are multiple factors that distinguish a landspout from a supercelluar tornado.

First, a landspout tornado doesn’t come from a rotating supercell. It will form along points of convergence or an outflow boundary. It often tends to be weaker (EF-0 or EF-1 rating) but can still cause damage.

Picture a small column of rotating air or leaves at the surface. Seems harmless, right? But strong lift in the environment can be caused by a rapidly growing updraft, developing above the swirl, stretching the air. That can cause the rotation to tighten, like a skater spinning faster by pulling their arms in.

With tornado season in the early stages in Canada, Saturday's twister won't be the last to occur in Alberta in 2025, either. The province averages a little more than 11 tornadoes each year.

Alberta also snagged Canada’s first tornado in 2023, recorded on May 11 near Cayley. Another case of a landspout was observed, with a weak, EF-0 twister documented. In contrast, 2024’s season started much earlier––with Ontario’s earliest-ever tornado recorded on March 16 just south of Windsor, tying the provincial record.

Below is just a selection of visuals of the landspout tornado that have appeared on social media.

Thumbnail courtesy: Bantry Seed Farms.