Leighton, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Leighton What TALON shows

What weather hits Leighton?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 297 days in the Colbert forecast zone and Colbert County — the most common reported hazard around Leighton, mostly in June and July. Next come excessive heat (106 days) and flash flooding (69 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	297	May 2026	Aug 4, 2011 · 1 death · $125,000 damage
Excessive heat	106	Aug 2025	—
Flash flooding	69	Jun 2025	May 6, 2003 · $500,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	20	Feb 2026	Mar 7, 1996 · $1.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	20	Jul 2023	Oct 24, 2010 · 1 death
Heavy snow & winter storms	17	Jan 2025	Jan 27, 2000 · $15,000 damage
High winds	14	Mar 2023	Apr 8, 2000 · 1 death · $5,000 damage
Flooding	14	Feb 2023	—

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

Which radars cover Leighton?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KGWX (Columbus AFB, MS), about 72 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Leighton	View
KGWX Columbus AFB, MS	72 mi southwest	5,900 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHTX Huntsville, AL	83 mi east-northeast	7,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KBMX Birmingham, AL	114 mi south-southeast	11,700 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 Leighton

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 137 tornadoes within 25 miles of Leighton, 38 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an EF5 on April 27, 2011, which passed about 17 miles south-southeast of town and caused 72 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 20, 2025, which passed about 6 miles north of town.

Hail: 310 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 26 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on February 12, 2024.

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 Leighton'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.

Leighton radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Leighton, AL?

KGWX (Columbus AFB, MS), about 72 miles southwest. KHTX (Huntsville, AL) is 83 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Leighton?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Leighton the lowest scan from KGWX is about 5,900 ft up.

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

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