Ponca, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Ponca What TALON shows

What weather hits Ponca?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 80 days in the Newton County Higher Elevations forecast zone and Newton County — the most common reported hazard around Ponca, mostly in May and June. Next come flash flooding (28 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (5 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	80	Jun 2025	Mar 6, 2017 · $110,000 damage
Flash flooding	28	Nov 2024	Mar 18, 2008 · $1.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	5	Jan 2026	—
Flooding	5	May 2011	May 24, 2011 · 1 death
Lightning casualties & damage	1	Feb 2002	Feb 19, 2002 · 1 death

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 Newton County Higher Elevations forecast zone and Newton County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Ponca?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 76 miles 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 Ponca	View
KSRX Fort Smith, AR	76 mi southwest	6,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KSGF Springfield, MO	83 mi north	7,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KLZK Little Rock, AR	103 mi southeast	10,100 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 Ponca

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 50 tornadoes within 25 miles of Ponca, 19 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an EF4 on May 24, 2011, which passed about 23 miles south of town and caused 4 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 19, 2025, which passed about 15 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 222 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 21 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on May 13, 1981.

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 Ponca'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.

Ponca radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ponca, AR?

KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 76 miles southwest. KSGF (Springfield, MO) is 83 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ponca?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ponca the lowest scan from KSRX is about 6,400 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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