Little Rock, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Little Rock What TALON shows

Which radars cover Little Rock?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Little Rock, AR is KLZK (Little Rock), about 6 miles to the north-northeast. 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 Little Rock	View of low-level rotation
KLZK Little Rock, AR	6 mi north-northeast	300 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KSRX Fort Smith, AR	123 mi west-northwest	13,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KNQA Memphis, TN	143 mi east-northeast	16,800 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 Little Rock'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 Little Rock

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 187 tornadoes within 25 miles of Little Rock, 72 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and May. The strongest was an EF4 on April 27, 2014, which passed about 14 miles northwest of the city and caused 16 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 12, 2025, which touched down about 15 miles northeast of the city.

Hail: 720 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Little Rock since 1955, 47 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on January 21, 1999.

Tornadoes since 1950	187
EF2/F2 or stronger	72
Strongest tornado	EF4 · Apr 2014
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.50 in · Jan 1999

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.

Little Rock radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Little Rock?

KLZK near Little Rock, AR, about 6 miles away. A second radar, KSRX (Fort Smith), is 123 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Little Rock?

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 Little Rock the lowest scan from KLZK is roughly 300 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Little Rock?

NOAA records show 187 tornadoes within 25 miles of Little Rock since 1950 — about 2.5 a year on average, most often in April and May. Most were weak, but 72 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 Little Rock, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.