Chelsea, AL Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Chelsea, Shelby County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for ChelseaWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Chelsea?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 167 days in the Shelby forecast zone and Shelby County — the most common reported hazard around Chelsea, mostly in June and August. Next come flash flooding (56 days) and lightning casualties & damage (12 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds167Jun 2026Mar 19, 1998 · $380,000 damage
Flash flooding56Jun 2026Oct 6, 2021 · 2 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage12Aug 2024Jun 25, 2018 · $300,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms11Jan 2025Jan 28, 2000 · $15,000 damage
Excessive heat10Jul 2025—
Flooding6Jul 2017Mar 10, 2010 · $500,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill5Feb 2017Mar 7, 1996 · $1.0 million damage
High winds5Apr 2020Sep 16, 2004 · $1.2 million damage

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1996–2026 (the latest year is partial). A "day" is a date with at least one report in the Shelby forecast zone and Shelby County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Chelsea?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 12 miles southwest. Radar beams climb as they travel, so the height of the lowest scan over town decides how low in a storm the radar can see.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over ChelseaView
KBMX
Birmingham, AL		12 mi southwest600 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMXX
Maxwell AFB, AL		72 mi southeast6,000 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KGWX
Columbus AFB, MS		106 mi west-northwest10,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, with standard refraction. Mountains near a radar can block it further.

Tornado & hail history near Chelsea

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 152 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chelsea, 48 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an F5 on April 8, 1998, which passed about 23 miles northwest of town and caused 32 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 15, 2025, which passed about 12 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 307 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on May 2, 2003.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025. Distances are to each tornado's track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita scale.

On TALON you get Chelsea's live radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Chelsea radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chelsea, AL?

KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 12 miles southwest. KMXX (Maxwell AFB, AL) is 72 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Chelsea?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Chelsea the lowest scan from KBMX is about 600 ft up.

Is TALON's radar for Chelsea free?

Yes — the US radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and NWS warnings are free in any browser. Close-up radar, rotation detection and longer forecasts are part of TALON Pro.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a warning for Chelsea, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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