Sanford, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Sanford What TALON shows

What weather hits Sanford?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 113 days in the Covington forecast zone and Covington County — the most common reported hazard around Sanford, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (17 days) and lightning casualties & damage (10 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	113	Jan 2026	Mar 12, 2001 · $200,000 damage
Flash flooding	17	May 2024	Mar 8, 1998 · $6.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	10	Jun 2015	Jun 23, 2015 · 2 deaths
Hurricanes & tropical storms	5	Sep 2020	Sep 25, 1998 · $9.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	3	Jan 2025	—
Excessive heat	2	Aug 2007	—
Ice storms & sleet	1	Jan 2000	—
Flooding	1	Dec 2015	Dec 24, 2015 · $3.2 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 Covington forecast zone and Covington County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Sanford?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEOX (Fort Rucker, AL), about 57 miles east-northeast. 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 Sanford	View
KEOX Fort Rucker, AL	57 mi east-northeast	4,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEVX Eglin AFB, FL	58 mi south-southeast	4,400 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMXX Maxwell AFB, AL	93 mi north-northeast	8,600 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 Sanford

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 78 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sanford, 15 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and October. The strongest was an F3 on May 3, 1956, which passed about 23 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on December 10, 2024, which touched down about 3 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 91 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 14 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on July 22, 2018.

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 Sanford'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.

Sanford radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Sanford, AL?

KEOX (Fort Rucker, AL), about 57 miles east-northeast. KEVX (Eglin AFB, FL) is 58 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Sanford?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Sanford the lowest scan from KEOX is about 4,200 ft up — good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly.

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

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