Chester, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chester What TALON shows

What weather hits Chester?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 168 days in the Northern Crawford forecast zone and Crawford County — the most common reported hazard around Chester, mostly in May and June. Next come flash flooding (55 days) and flooding (21 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	168	May 2026	Feb 20, 1997 · $200,000 damage
Flash flooding	55	May 2025	Apr 23, 2004 · $300,000 damage
Flooding	21	May 2022	May 11, 2015 · 1 death
Lightning casualties & damage	3	Jun 1999	Jun 29, 1999 · $50,000 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 Northern Crawford forecast zone and Crawford County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Chester get?

A normal year brings about 3.1 inches of snow to Chester, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Mountainburg 2 Ne weather station 2.4 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (1.8 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.0	0.1	1.8	0.7	0.5	0.0	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Chester?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 29 miles south-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 Chester	View
KSRX Fort Smith, AR	29 mi south-southwest	1,700 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KINX Tulsa, OK	85 mi west-northwest	7,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KSGF Springfield, MO	116 mi north-northeast	12,100 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 Chester

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chester, 27 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and April. The strongest was an F4 on May 5, 1960, which passed about 24 miles southwest of town and caused 5 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on June 18, 2025, which touched down about 18 miles north of town.

Hail: 382 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 47 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 26, 2000.

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 Chester'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.

Chester radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chester, AR?

KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 29 miles south-southwest. KINX (Tulsa, OK) is 85 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Chester?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Chester the lowest scan from KSRX is about 1,700 ft up — excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground.

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

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