Lawson, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lawson What TALON shows

What weather hits Lawson?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 118 days in the Union forecast zone and Union County — the most common reported hazard around Lawson, mostly in April and June. Next come excessive heat (75 days) and flash flooding (37 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	118	Jun 2026	Feb 10, 1998 · $1.0 million damage
Excessive heat	75	Aug 2025	—
Flash flooding	37	Sep 2025	Aug 19, 2008 · $250,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	14	Jan 2026	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	6	Jan 2026	Jan 7, 2010 · $150,000 damage
Flooding	5	Apr 2024	Oct 12, 2009 · $2.0 million damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Dec 2000	Dec 12, 2000 · $40 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	May 2023	Apr 11, 2016 · $250,000 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 Union forecast zone and Union County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lawson?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 94 miles west-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 Lawson	View
KSHV Shreveport, LA	94 mi west-southwest	8,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KLZK Little Rock, AR	114 mi north	11,700 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	144 mi south-southwest	17,000 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 Lawson

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 78 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lawson, 21 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and December. The strongest was an F3 on January 12, 2005, which crossed near town and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF2 on July 8, 2024, which touched down about 15 miles south of town.

Hail: 175 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 18 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on March 30, 1996.

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 Lawson'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.

Lawson radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lawson, AR?

KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 94 miles west-southwest. KLZK (Little Rock, AR) is 114 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lawson?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lawson the lowest scan from KSHV is about 8,800 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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