Huntsville, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Huntsville What TALON shows

Which radars cover Huntsville?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Huntsville, AL is KHTX (Huntsville), about 32 miles to the east-northeast. 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 Huntsville	View of low-level rotation
KHTX Huntsville, AL	32 mi east-northeast	2,000 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KOHX Nashville, TN	105 mi north	10,300 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KBMX Birmingham, AL	108 mi south	10,800 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 Huntsville'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 Huntsville

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 180 tornadoes within 25 miles of Huntsville, 53 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and May. The strongest was an EF5 on April 27, 2011, which passed about 8 miles north-northwest of the city and caused 72 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on May 27, 2025, which touched down about 8 miles southwest of the city.

Hail: 450 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Huntsville since 1955, 41 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.25-inch hail (softball size) on April 10, 2009.

Tornadoes since 1950	180
EF2/F2 or stronger	53
Strongest tornado	EF5 · Apr 2011
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.25 in · Apr 2009

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.

Huntsville radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Huntsville?

KHTX near Huntsville, AL, about 32 miles away. A second radar, KOHX (Nashville), is 105 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Huntsville?

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 Huntsville the lowest scan from KHTX is roughly 2,000 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 Huntsville?

NOAA records show 180 tornadoes within 25 miles of Huntsville since 1950 — about 2.4 a year on average, most often in April and May. Most were weak, but 53 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 Huntsville, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.