August 7, 2020
EF3Scarth & Virden
RM of Wallace-Woodworth
Winds: 260 km/h • Track: 10.5 km
High-end EF3 tornado ripped across Highway 83 south of Virden, tossing vehicles, snapping utility poles, and causing extensive agricultural destruction.
Manitoba ECCC Severe Weather Stream
Manitoba Tornado Today: Live Tracker
Track Manitoba tornado today with live monitoring of real-time Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warnings, watches, and Doppler radar imagery across Manitoba.
Population:1.4 MillionAnnual Frequency:11 tornadoes / yrPeak Risk Window:June to July
Doppler--:--
Live ECCC Alert Bulletin
Manitoba Active Severe Weather & Tornado Alerts
Streaming real-time official bulletins from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for Manitoba.
Active Canadian Bulletins:0
No Active Tornado Warnings in Manitoba
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Doppler radar is active across all 33 radar sites. Zero active tornadic rotations detected at this time.
Provincial Climatology • Environment Canada & NTP
Manitoba Tornado Statistics, Frequency & Risk Trends
Historical severe convective data compiled from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) archives, the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) at Western University, and forensic post-storm ground surveys across Manitoba.
386Confirmed Touchdowns
11 / yrAnnual Average
June to JulyPeak Seasonal Window
HighProvincial Threat Tier
Elie F5Strongest Verified
76.7%June & July Activity
Seasonality & Monthly Trends
Monthly Manitoba Tornado Frequency Distribution
Severe convective weather in Manitoba follows a concentrated summertime bell curve. The sharp influx of warm, moist surface air combined with upper-level jet dynamics drives peak tornadogenesis during June and July, accounting for 76.7% of all documented touchdowns.
0%Jan
0%Feb
0%Mar
1%Apr
8.8%May
33.2%Jun
43.5%Jul
11.9%Aug
1.6%Sep
0%Oct
0%Nov
0%Dec
Winter Minimum (< 0.5%)Peak Climatological Window: June to July (76.7%)Autumn Falloff (< 2%)
Severity Spectrum
Manitoba Tornado Severity Breakdown (EF-Scale)
Historical distribution of confirmed tornadoes across Manitoba categorized by the Enhanced Fujita Scale. While weak EF0 and EF1 funnels comprise the majority of touchdowns, violent twisters (EF2+) represent the greatest threat to life and infrastructure.
EF0(105 to 137 km/h)
207 documented eventsProvincial Share53.6%
Light damage: Snapped branches, minor roof shingle loss, loose agricultural shed damage.
EF1(138 to 177 km/h)
121 documented eventsProvincial Share31.3%
Moderate damage: Sheds unroofed, outbuildings tipped, mature willow and oak trees uprooted.
EF2(178 to 217 km/h)
42 documented eventsProvincial Share10.9%
Considerable damage: Structural walls compromised, camper trailers destroyed, barns flattened.
EF3(218 to 266 km/h)
12 documented eventsProvincial Share3.1%
Severe damage: 2020 Scarth EF3 tossed cars along Highway 83, snapped utility lines.
EF4(267 to 322 km/h)
3 documented eventsProvincial Share0.8%
Devastating damage: 2018 Alonsa EF4 nocturnal wedge along Lake Manitoba shorelines.
EF5(> 322 km/h)
1 documented eventsProvincial Share0.3%
Incredible damage: 2007 Elie F5 — Canada's only official F5 in recorded history.
Geographic Vulnerability
High-Risk Counties & Municipalities in Manitoba
Historical touchdown density highlights distinct regional corridors where terrain, moisture convergence, and boundary collisions repeatedly foster severe convective supercells.
RM of Cartier (Elie)High Risk
28 Touchdowns
2007 Elie F5 drill-core tornado (Canada's only F5)
RM of Alonsa (Lake Manitoba)High Risk
24 Touchdowns
2018 Alonsa EF4 nocturnal lakefront wedge twister
RM of Wallace-Woodworth (Virden/Scarth)High Risk
22 Touchdowns
2020 Scarth EF3 highway intercept & vehicle toss
RM of Macdonald (Sanford)Moderate Risk
19 Touchdowns
Red River Valley moisture convergence corridor
RM of Portage la PrairieModerate Risk
17 Touchdowns
1922 Portage F4 & Assiniboine River convective storms
RM of St. Clements (Interlake)Moderate Risk
14 Touchdowns
Lake Winnipeg marine-boundary convective interactions
Documented Forensic Archive • Northern Tornadoes Project & ECCC
Historical Manitoba Tornado Touchdown Log & Timeline
Showing 5 verified eventsChronological record of verified tornadoes in Manitoba investigated through post-event ground surveys, aerial drone imagery, Doppler radar velocity couplets, and civil engineering damage indicators.
August 3, 2018
EF4Alonsa & Margaret Island
RM of Alonsa
Winds: 280 km/h • Track: 17.0 km
Violent nocturnal wedge tornado with 280 km/h winds tracked along Lake Manitoba, destroying cabins, leveling reinforced structures, and sweeping a pickup truck into the lake.
July 25, 2012
EF1Plumas & Lake Manitoba
RM of WestLake-Gladstone
Winds: 160 km/h • Track: 8.0 km
A fast-moving summer squall line spawned an EF1 tornado that damaged farm buildings and uprooted mature oak trees along the western shores of Lake Manitoba.
June 22, 2007
F5Elie
RM of Cartier
Winds: 450 km/h • Track: 5.5 km
Canada's first and only officially confirmed F5 tornado. The drill-like vortex lingered over Elie for 40 minutes, ripping a well-anchored two-story house off its foundation and tossing a 10-tonne van hundreds of metres. Zero fatalities due to early ECCC warnings.
June 19, 1922
F4Portage la Prairie
RM of Portage la Prairie
Winds: 370 km/h • Track: 28.0 km
Violent early-century F4 tornado swept across the fertile Portage plains, leveling farmsteads and causing 5 fatalities.
Meteorological Science • MB
Red River Valley Moisture Pooling & Arctic Front Clashes
Manitoba's geographical funneling through the Red River Valley draws intense low-level moisture northward from Minnesota and North Dakota. When cold polar air masses descending from northern Manitoba encounter this humid air mass, extreme thermodynamic instability is released. Manitoba holds the distinction of producing Canada's only confirmed F5 tornado (Elie, 2007), characterized by narrow, slow-moving drill-like vortex cores with immense vertical updraft velocity.
Primary Severe Convective Triggers in Manitoba:
Moisture pooling in the low-lying Red River Valley basin
Clash between humid Gulf air and arctic cold fronts advancing from the northwest
High low-level moisture boundaries combined with intense mid-level dry air intrusions
Slow storm translation speeds allowing maximum energy extraction from localized instability
Radar Surveillance Network
Environment Canada S-Band Doppler Radars Covering Manitoba
High-resolution dual-polarization S-band Doppler radar stations monitoring tornadic rotation across Manitoba:
CWIS
Woodlands Radar
Woodlands (Winnipeg & Red River Valley)
CWVU
Foxwarren Radar
Foxwarren (Western Manitoba & Brandon)
Emergency Preparedness
Manitoba Sheltering Guidelines & Alert Ready Protocols
Urban / Suburban House
Go to the basement immediately. Crouch under a solid workbench or stairs away from exterior walls and foundation windows.
Lakefront Cabin / RV
Evacuate lakefront cabins and campgrounds early. High winds along Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg cause severe structural failure and water surges.
Rural Farmstead
Seek shelter in a below-ground basement or concrete root cellar. Avoid metal machinery shops and pole barns.
Explore Nationwide Canadian Severe Weather Intelligence
Track Canada TornadoCompare Manitoba's tornadic statistics with all 13 provinces and territories on our national hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Manitoba Tornado Tracker FAQ
Official answers regarding Manitoba's tornadic risks, peak season, warning systems, and shelter guidance.
Monitor our live Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) radar and alert feed at the top of this page for active Manitoba Tornado Warnings and Watches. When rotation is detected on Woodlands or Foxwarren Doppler radar, immediate emergency alerts are broadcast via the national Alert Ready system.
Canadian Severe Weather Corridors
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Track real-time Environment Canada radar and active tornado alerts across neighboring provinces.
Avg 18/yr • High Risk
Avg 16/yr • High Risk
Avg 20/yr • High Risk
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