Elgin, AZ Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Elgin What TALON shows

What weather hits Elgin?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 81 days in the Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson forecast zone and Santa Cruz County — the most common reported hazard around Elgin, mostly in August and July. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (67 days) and excessive heat (41 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flash flooding	81	Jul 2025	Jul 12, 2008 · 2 deaths · $600,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	67	Jul 2025	Jun 29, 1996 · $330,000 damage
Excessive heat	41	Jun 2026	Jul 3, 2023 · 3 deaths
High winds	18	Apr 2026	Oct 11, 2021 · $75,000 damage
Wildfires	14	Jul 2023	Jun 20, 2017 · $750,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	6	Mar 2023	Jan 2, 2019 · $5,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	4	Jun 2025	Jul 30, 2014 · 1 death
Extreme cold & wind chill	2	Feb 2025	Feb 15, 2025 · 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 Upper San Pedro River Valley including Sierra Vista/Benson forecast zone and Santa Cruz County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Elgin?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEMX (Tucson, AZ), about 17 miles north-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 Elgin	View
KEMX Tucson, AZ	17 mi north-northwest	900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KIWA Phoenix, AZ	130 mi north-northwest	14,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KFSX Flagstaff, AZ	205 mi north	30,400 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 Elgin

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Elgin. Most came in August and July. The strongest was an F1 on July 16, 1971, which touched down about 16 miles east-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 29, 2017, which touched down about 22 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 42 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on August 7, 2023.

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 Elgin'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.

Elgin radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Elgin, AZ?

KEMX (Tucson, AZ), about 17 miles north-northwest. KIWA (Phoenix, AZ) is 130 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Elgin?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Elgin the lowest scan from KEMX is about 900 ft up.

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

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