Arkansas City, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Arkansas City What TALON shows

What weather hits Arkansas City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 65 days in the Desha forecast zone and Desha County — the most common reported hazard around Arkansas City, mostly in April and July. Next come flash flooding (25 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (14 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	65	Mar 2026	Oct 30, 2009 · $250,000 damage
Flash flooding	25	Apr 2025	Oct 13, 2009 · $250,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	14	Jan 2026	—
Flooding	11	May 2019	May 1, 2011 · $3.5 million damage
Excessive heat	10	Sep 2012	—
Ice storms & sleet	4	Feb 2003	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	3	Aug 2020	Sep 13, 2008 · $375,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	2	Oct 2010	May 9, 2007 · $25,000 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 Desha forecast zone and Desha County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Arkansas City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLZK (Little Rock, AR), about 104 miles northwest. 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 Arkansas City	View
KLZK Little Rock, AR	104 mi northwest	10,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDGX Jackson, MS	116 mi southeast	12,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KNQA Memphis, TN	142 mi north-northeast	16,600 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 Arkansas City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 86 tornadoes within 25 miles of Arkansas City, 28 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in January and April. The strongest was an F4 on November 24, 2001, which passed about 11 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF2 on January 2, 2023, which passed about 9 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 177 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 17 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.25-inch hail on February 5, 2008.

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 Arkansas 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.

Arkansas City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Arkansas City, AR?

KLZK (Little Rock, AR), about 104 miles northwest. KDGX (Jackson, MS) is 116 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Arkansas City?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Arkansas City the lowest scan from KLZK is about 10,200 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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