Birmingham, AL Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Birmingham in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Birmingham What TALON shows

Which radars cover Birmingham?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Birmingham, AL is KBMX (Birmingham), about 24 miles to the south. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Birmingham	View of low-level rotation
KBMX Birmingham, AL	24 mi south	1,400 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KMXX Maxwell AFB, AL	90 mi southeast	8,200 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KGWX Columbus AFB, MS	91 mi west-northwest	8,300 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Birmingham's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Birmingham

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 162 tornadoes within 25 miles of Birmingham, 55 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and May. The strongest was an F5 on April 8, 1998, which passed about 5 miles northwest of the city and caused 32 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on November 25, 2025, which passed about 12 miles north-northwest of the city.

Hail: 378 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Birmingham since 1955, 33 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on May 2, 2003.

Tornadoes since 1950	162
EF2/F2 or stronger	55
Strongest tornado	F5 · Apr 1998
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.50 in · May 2003

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Birmingham radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Birmingham?

KBMX near Birmingham, AL, about 24 miles away. A second radar, KMXX (Maxwell AFB), is 90 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Birmingham?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Birmingham the lowest scan from KBMX is roughly 1,400 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Birmingham?

NOAA records show 162 tornadoes within 25 miles of Birmingham since 1950 — about 2.1 a year on average, most often in April and May. Most were weak, but 55 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Birmingham, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.