Alpine, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Alpine What TALON shows

What weather hits Alpine?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Inland Valleys forecast zone and San Diego County — the most common reported hazard around Alpine, mostly in August and January. Next come wildfires (115 days) and flooding (114 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flash flooding	148	Mar 2025	Jan 22, 2024 · 2 deaths · $100,000 damage
Wildfires	115	Jan 2025	Oct 25, 2003 · 14 deaths · $1.0 billion damage
Flooding	114	Jan 2026	Dec 16, 2002 · 3 deaths · $60,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	73	Feb 2026	Mar 22, 2007 · 3 deaths
High winds	62	Jan 2025	Jan 7, 2003 · $28 million damage
Excessive heat	62	Aug 2025	Jun 23, 2024 · 1 death
Lightning casualties & damage	38	Dec 2023	Sep 2, 2001 · 1 death
Debris flows	24	Aug 2024	Apr 9, 2020 · $2.0 million 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 San Diego County Inland Valleys forecast zone and San Diego County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Alpine?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 17 miles west-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 Alpine	View
KNKX San Diego, CA	17 mi west-northwest	1,000 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX Santa Ana Mountains, CA	84 mi northwest	7,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KYUX Yuma, AZ	125 mi east	13,500 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 Alpine

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 11 tornadoes within 25 miles of Alpine. Most came in February and April. The strongest was an F1 on April 13, 1956, which touched down about 24 miles southwest of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on April 22, 2019, which touched down about 17 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 10 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on September 16, 1975.

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 Alpine'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.

Alpine radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Alpine, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 17 miles west-northwest. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 84 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Alpine flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Inland Valleys forecast zone and San Diego County; the deadliest was on January 22, 2024, with 2 deaths. TALON's free flash-flood risk layer shows, every 2 minutes, how close the rain that has fallen is to what it takes to flood — turn it on under Layers.

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

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