Tuscaloosa, AL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Tuscaloosa What TALON shows

Which radars cover Tuscaloosa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Tuscaloosa, AL is KBMX (Birmingham), about 46 miles to the east. 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 Tuscaloosa	View of low-level rotation
KBMX Birmingham, AL	46 mi east	3,200 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KGWX Columbus AFB, MS	65 mi northwest	5,100 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KMXX Maxwell AFB, AL	113 mi east-southeast	11,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

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 Tuscaloosa'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 Tuscaloosa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 123 tornadoes within 25 miles of Tuscaloosa, 39 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in March and April. The strongest was an F5 on March 3, 1966, which passed about 7 miles north-northwest of the city and caused 58 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 15, 2025, which passed about 16 miles west-northwest of the city.

Hail: 152 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Tuscaloosa since 1955, 14 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on April 25, 2003.

Tornadoes since 1950	123
EF2/F2 or stronger	39
Strongest tornado	F5 · Mar 1966
Busiest tornado month	March
Largest hail	4.50 in · Apr 2003

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.

Tuscaloosa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Tuscaloosa?

KBMX near Birmingham, AL, about 46 miles away. A second radar, KGWX (Columbus AFB), is 65 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Tuscaloosa?

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 Tuscaloosa the lowest scan from KBMX is roughly 3,200 ft up. Good — low-level rotation is usually visible. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Tuscaloosa?

NOAA records show 123 tornadoes within 25 miles of Tuscaloosa since 1950 — about 1.6 a year on average, most often in March and April. Most were weak, but 39 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 Tuscaloosa, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.