Sonoita, AZ Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Sonoita What TALON shows

What weather hits Sonoita?

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 Sonoita, 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 Sonoita?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEMX (Tucson, AZ), about 16 miles north. 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 Sonoita	View
KEMX Tucson, AZ	16 mi north	900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KIWA Phoenix, AZ	127 mi north-northwest	14,000 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KFSX Flagstaff, AZ	204 mi north	30,100 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 Sonoita

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sonoita. Most came in August and July. The strongest was an F1 on July 16, 1971, which touched down about 21 miles east-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on May 9, 2012, which touched down about 25 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 46 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on August 13, 1994.

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 Sonoita'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.

Sonoita radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Sonoita, AZ?

KEMX (Tucson, AZ), about 16 miles north. KIWA (Phoenix, AZ) is 127 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Sonoita?

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

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

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