Barstow, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for BarstowWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Barstow?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 340 days in the Western Mojave Desert forecast zone and San Bernardino County — the most common reported hazard around Barstow, mostly in August and July. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (129 days) and flooding (106 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding340Feb 2026Aug 26, 2003 · 3 deaths · $50,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds129Feb 2026Jun 3, 2009 · 1 death · $20,000 damage
Flooding106Feb 2026Dec 19, 2010 · 1 death
High winds102Feb 2026May 10, 2014 · $500,000 damage
Wildfires78Nov 2003Oct 25, 2003 · 4 deaths · $696 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage58Sep 2024Jun 3, 2009 · 1 death · $1,000 damage
Debris flows39Aug 2025Sep 12, 2022 · 1 death · $6.0 million damage
Excessive heat36Aug 2025Aug 5, 2009 · 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 Western Mojave Desert forecast zone and San Bernardino County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Barstow?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 33 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over BarstowView
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		33 mi west-northwest2,100 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		80 mi south-southwest6,900 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		125 mi west-southwest13,600 ftLimited — 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 Barstow

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Barstow, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and May. The strongest was an F2 on June 25, 1954, which touched down about 19 miles south-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on August 18, 2013, which touched down about 17 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 6 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on July 1, 2016.

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 Barstow'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.

Barstow radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Barstow, CA?

KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 33 miles west-northwest. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 80 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Barstow flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 340 days in the Western Mojave Desert forecast zone and San Bernardino County; the deadliest was on August 26, 2003, with 3 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 Barstow 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 Barstow, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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