Bear Valley, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Bear ValleyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Bear Valley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra forecast zone and Mariposa County — the most common reported hazard around Bear Valley, mostly in January and February. Next come high winds (25 days) and wildfires (20 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding56Mar 2025Jun 16, 1998 · $100,000 damage
High winds25Mar 2025—
Wildfires20Jul 2004Jul 24, 2001 · $5.0 million damage
Debris flows17Feb 2025Dec 27, 2022 · 2 deaths
Damaging thunderstorm winds12Jul 2024Jan 21, 2012 · 1 death · $5,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage9Sep 2023Sep 13, 2011 · $100,000 damage
Flash flooding7Oct 2021Mar 22, 2018 · 2 deaths · $2.0 million damage
Excessive heat6Oct 2024—

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 Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra forecast zone and Mariposa County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Bear Valley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 91 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 ValleyView
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		91 mi south-southeast8,400 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		101 mi west-southwest9,800 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		106 mi northwest10,400 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 Valley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 8 tornadoes within 25 miles of Bear Valley. Most came in February and December. The strongest was an F1 on December 16, 2002, which touched down about 24 miles southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on February 2, 2019, which touched down about 17 miles south-southeast of town.

Hail: 3 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.25-inch hail on March 21, 2017.

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 Valley'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 Valley radar FAQ

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

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 91 miles south-southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 101 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Bear Valley flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Mariposa-Madera Lower Sierra forecast zone and Mariposa 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 Valley 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 Valley, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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