The tornado that touched down near Lodgepole earlier this week has been given a preliminary rating of an EF2.
The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) says it is Canada’s first recorded EF2 tornado of the year, which touched down in the Lodgepole, Alta. area, on July 2.
The tornado moved slowly in a crescent-shaped path, resulting in a damage path length of only four kilometres.
Numerous trees were damaged in the path of the tornado, as shown in the photo below.
Murray Mitchell
The NTP added that witnesses captured video and photos of a tornado north of Lodgepole (southwest of Drayton Valley), where tree damage was later reported.
No injuries were reported, and an NTP ground and drone survey was completed on July 3, 2025, documenting a curved track of damage in the treed area. Damage assessed as preliminary EF2 tornado, with an estimated maximum wind speed of 190 km/h, a track length of 3.36 km and a maximum path width of 600 metres.
Northern Tornadoes Project
The tree damage pattern suggests the tornado travelled roughly westward before curving back to the southeast; however, further analysis is pending. The start time is based on the witness report.
Satellite imagery review is also pending, the NTP report added.
Alberta is no stranger to tornadoes, having seen three touch down so far this year, including two EF1’s. In July of 2023 on Canada Day, a strong EF4 tornado touched down near Didsbury, making it the strongest tornado to touch down in Alberta since the 1987 Edmonton tornado.