Gainesville, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Gainesville What TALON shows

What weather hits Gainesville?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 102 days in the Sumter forecast zone and Sumter County — the most common reported hazard around Gainesville, mostly in April and June. Next come flash flooding (18 days) and excessive heat (11 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	102	Jun 2026	Apr 24, 2010 · $100,000 damage
Flash flooding	18	May 2026	Apr 7, 2003 · 1 death · $100,000 damage
Excessive heat	11	Jul 2025	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	8	Jan 2022	Jan 27, 2000 · $20,000 damage
Flooding	7	Jul 2005	Apr 7, 2003 · $335,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	4	Jan 2014	Mar 7, 1996 · $1.0 million damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	3	Oct 2020	Aug 29, 2005 · $4.0 million damage
Ice storms & sleet	2	Jan 2011	—

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 Sumter forecast zone and Sumter County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Gainesville?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KGWX (Columbus AFB, MS), about 75 miles north. 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Gainesville	View
KGWX Columbus AFB, MS	75 mi north	6,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KBMX Birmingham, AL	84 mi east-northeast	7,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDGX Jackson, MS	112 mi west-southwest	11,500 ft	Limited — 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 Gainesville

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 70 tornadoes within 25 miles of Gainesville, 28 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F5 on March 3, 1966, which passed about 17 miles north-northwest of town and caused 58 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 15, 2025, which passed about 13 miles north-northeast of town.

Hail: 86 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 4 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on April 15, 2011.

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 Gainesville'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.

Gainesville radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Gainesville, AL?

KGWX (Columbus AFB, MS), about 75 miles north. KBMX (Birmingham, AL) is 84 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Gainesville?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Gainesville the lowest scan from KGWX is about 6,300 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

Is TALON's radar for Gainesville 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 Gainesville, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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