Lester, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lester What TALON shows

What weather hits Lester?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 201 days in the Limestone forecast zone and Limestone County — the most common reported hazard around Lester, mostly in June and July. Next come excessive heat (62 days) and flash flooding (47 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	201	Dec 2025	Oct 18, 2007 · $1.0 million damage
Excessive heat	62	Aug 2025	Jul 28, 2005 · 1 death
Flash flooding	47	Jun 2025	Apr 3, 2000 · $150,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	26	Aug 2023	Aug 3, 2011 · $500,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	23	Jan 2025	Jan 28, 2000 · $15,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	20	Feb 2026	Mar 7, 1996 · $1.0 million damage
Flooding	17	Mar 2023	—
High winds	8	Mar 2023	Jan 18, 1996 · $20,000 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 Limestone forecast zone and Limestone County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lester?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHTX (Huntsville, AL), about 61 miles east. 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 Lester	View
KHTX Huntsville, AL	61 mi east	4,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KOHX Nashville, TN	93 mi north-northeast	8,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KGWX Columbus AFB, MS	101 mi southwest	9,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Lester

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 158 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lester, 44 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and April. The strongest was an EF5 on April 27, 2011, which passed about 23 miles south-southeast of town and caused 72 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 20, 2025, which passed about 14 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 287 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 30 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on January 17, 1999.

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 Lester'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.

Lester radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lester, AL?

KHTX (Huntsville, AL), about 61 miles east. KOHX (Nashville, TN) is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lester?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lester the lowest scan from KHTX is about 4,600 ft up.

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

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