Rainbow City, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Rainbow City What TALON shows

What weather hits Rainbow City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 145 days in the Etowah forecast zone and Etowah County — the most common reported hazard around Rainbow City, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (23 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (17 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	145	Jun 2026	Apr 24, 2010 · 1 death · $2,000 damage
Flash flooding	23	Jun 2026	Nov 24, 2004 · $200,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	17	Jan 2025	Jan 28, 2000 · $15,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	13	Oct 2010	Jul 27, 2005 · $110,000 damage
Excessive heat	7	Jul 2025	—
Flooding	7	Mar 2024	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	4	Jan 2014	Mar 7, 1996 · $1.0 million damage
High winds	4	Apr 2020	Sep 16, 2004 · $180,000 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 Etowah forecast zone and Etowah County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Rainbow City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 66 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 Rainbow City	View
KBMX Birmingham, AL	66 mi southwest	5,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHTX Huntsville, AL	69 mi north	5,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KFFC Atlanta, GA	96 mi east-southeast	9,000 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 Rainbow City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 125 tornadoes within 25 miles of Rainbow City, 62 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F4 on March 27, 1994, which passed about 11 miles south-southeast of town and caused 22 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 20, 2025, which passed about 20 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 270 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 9, 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 Rainbow City'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.

Rainbow City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Rainbow City, AL?

KBMX (Birmingham, AL), about 66 miles southwest. KHTX (Huntsville, AL) is 69 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Rainbow City?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Rainbow City the lowest scan from KBMX is about 5,200 ft up.

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

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