Highland Lakes, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Highland LakesWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Highland Lakes?

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 Highland Lakes, 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 Highland Lakes?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 17 miles south-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 Highland LakesView
KBMX
Birmingham, AL		17 mi south-southwest900 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMXX
Maxwell AFB, AL		78 mi southeast6,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KGWX
Columbus AFB, MS		103 mi west-northwest10,000 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 Highland Lakes

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 162 tornadoes within 25 miles of Highland Lakes, 50 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F5 on April 8, 1998, which passed about 18 miles northwest of town and caused 32 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on November 25, 2025, which passed about 23 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 361 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 24 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 Highland Lakes'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.

Highland Lakes radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Highland Lakes, AL?

KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 17 miles south-southwest. KMXX (Maxwell AFB, AL) is 78 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Highland Lakes?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Highland Lakes the lowest scan from KBMX is about 900 ft up.

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

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