Bear Creek, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Bear CreekWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Bear Creek?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced County — the most common reported hazard around Bear Creek, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (23 days) and lightning casualties & damage (8 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding56Mar 2025Jan 9, 2023 · $10 million damage
Excessive heat23Mar 2026—
Lightning casualties & damage8May 2016May 5, 2016 · $1.0 million damage
Flash flooding5Feb 2025Mar 25, 1998 · $11 million damage
Wildfires4Jun 2003Jun 2, 2003 · $15,000 damage
Debris flows4Feb 2024—
High winds3Feb 2024Feb 4, 2024 · $1,000 damage
Dust storms2Nov 2024Nov 11, 2024 · $400,000 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 Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Bear Creek?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 81 miles south-southeast. 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 Bear CreekView
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		81 mi south-southeast7,000 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		82 mi west7,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		108 mi northwest10,800 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 Bear Creek

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 21 tornadoes within 25 miles of Bear Creek. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an EF1 on November 15, 2015, which passed about 25 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 6 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on April 12, 2012.

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 Bear Creek'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.

Bear Creek radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Bear Creek, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 81 miles south-southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 82 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Bear Creek flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced County. 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 Bear Creek 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 Bear Creek, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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