Berkeley, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for BerkeleyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Berkeley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 73 days in the San Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Alameda County — the most common reported hazard around Berkeley, mostly in February and December. Next come high winds (26 days) and flash flooding (16 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding73Jan 2026Mar 10, 2023 · 1 death
High winds26Jan 2026Oct 13, 2009 · $2.5 million damage
Flash flooding16Dec 2025Feb 3, 1998 · $250,000 damage
Debris flows14Jan 2023Jan 21, 2012 · $75,000 damage
Excessive heat10Mar 2026May 17, 2009 · $10,000 damage
Coastal flooding4Jan 2026—
Damaging thunderstorm winds3Dec 2024Apr 7, 2017 · $10,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage2Aug 2020Oct 6, 2011 · $3,000 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 San Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Alameda County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Berkeley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 54 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 BerkeleyView
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		54 mi south-southeast3,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		55 mi northeast4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		118 mi north-northeast12,400 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 Berkeley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 6 tornadoes within 25 miles of Berkeley. Most came in September and December. The strongest was an F1 on March 20, 2005, which passed about 16 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 2 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on August 19, 1983.

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 Berkeley'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.

Berkeley radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Berkeley, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 54 miles south-southeast. KDAX (Sacramento, CA) is 55 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Berkeley flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 73 days in the San Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Alameda County; the deadliest was on March 10, 2023, with 1 death. 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 Berkeley 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 Berkeley, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

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