Big Creek, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Big Creek What TALON shows

What weather hits Big Creek?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 112 days in the San Joaquin River Canyon forecast zone and Fresno County — the most common reported hazard around Big Creek, mostly in January and December. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (32 days) and lightning casualties & damage (30 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	112	Dec 2025	May 1, 2023 · 2 deaths
Damaging thunderstorm winds	32	Feb 2024	Mar 17, 2012 · $1.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	30	Jun 2024	Jul 30, 2021 · 1 death
Flash flooding	23	Mar 2023	Jul 21, 2006 · $50,000 damage
Debris flows	18	Feb 2025	Jan 28, 2021 · $200 damage
Wildfires	13	Jul 2004	Aug 19, 2001 · $6.1 million damage
High winds	2	Jan 2025	—
Excessive heat	1	Jul 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 San Joaquin River Canyon forecast zone and Fresno County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Big Creek?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 65 miles south-southwest. 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 Big Creek	View
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	65 mi south-southwest	5,100 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX San Francisco, CA	146 mi west	17,400 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDAX Sacramento, CA	160 mi northwest	20,200 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 Big Creek

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Big Creek, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. The strongest was an EF2 on September 5, 2020, which passed about 11 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on June 5, 2023.

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 Big 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.

Big Creek radar FAQ

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

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 65 miles south-southwest. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 146 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Big Creek flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 112 days in the San Joaquin River Canyon forecast zone and Fresno County; the deadliest was on May 1, 2023, 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 Big 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 Big Creek, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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