When the VIX Crosses 20: How Often Does It Reach 30?
Backtested from 1990-2025
Every time the VIX crosses 20, the panic headlines start. But how often does it actually escalate to 30? We analyzed 35 years of data to find out, and the answer might change how you respond to the next spike.
To avoid double counting, we isolated clean runs where the VIX started below 20, crossed above it for the first time, and then either reached 30 or fell back below 20. Each episode above 20 is counted once, not inflated by multiple 30+ closes within the same move.
The Results