Butte Valley, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Butte ValleyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Butte Valley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 44 days in the Butte County Below 1000 ft forecast zone and Butte County — the most common reported hazard around Butte Valley, mostly in February and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (8 days) and flash flooding (7 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding44Feb 2026Feb 12, 2017 · $549 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds8Feb 2023Sep 18, 2019 · $4.0 million damage
Flash flooding7Nov 2020Feb 9, 2014 · $700,000 damage
Debris flows5Sep 2019Jan 9, 2017 · $4.3 million damage
Wildfires4Sep 2000Sep 18, 2000 · $1.9 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage4Jan 2019Jun 5, 2007 · $80,000 damage
Excessive heat1Jun 2026—

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 Butte County Below 1000 ft forecast zone and Butte County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Butte Valley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 12 miles south. 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 Butte ValleyView
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		12 mi south600 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		81 mi south7,000 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRGX
Reno, NV		116 mi east12,100 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 Butte Valley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 22 tornadoes within 25 miles of Butte Valley, 2 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and May. The strongest was an F2 on February 10, 1994, which touched down about 11 miles south-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF1 on December 19, 2023, which touched down about 14 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 9 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on March 6, 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 Butte 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.

Butte Valley radar FAQ

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

KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 12 miles south. KDAX (Sacramento, CA) is 81 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Butte Valley flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 44 days in the Butte County Below 1000 ft forecast zone and Butte 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 Butte 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 Butte Valley, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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