Buttonwillow, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for ButtonwillowWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Buttonwillow?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5 forecast zone and Kern County — the most common reported hazard around Buttonwillow, mostly in January and March. Next come flash flooding (72 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (38 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding120Jan 2026Jan 2, 2011 · $13 million damage
Flash flooding72Nov 2025Sep 3, 1997 · $5.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds38Mar 2024Sep 23, 2011 · $100,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage31Jun 2022Jul 18, 2015 · 1 death
Debris flows29Nov 2024Dec 26, 2019 · $100,000 damage
Wildfires25Aug 2003Jul 21, 2002 · $3.8 million damage
Excessive heat24Aug 2025—
High winds5May 2002May 20, 2002 · $25,000 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 Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5 forecast zone and Kern County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Buttonwillow?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 63 miles north. 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 ButtonwillowView
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		63 mi north4,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVBX
Vandenberg AFB, CA		67 mi southwest5,300 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		70 mi south-southeast5,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly

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 Buttonwillow

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Buttonwillow. Most came in February and March. The strongest was an F1 on March 17, 1991, which touched down about 19 miles south of town. The most recent was an EF0 on February 23, 2015, which touched down about 20 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 5 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.50-inch hail on February 17, 1997.

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 Buttonwillow'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.

Buttonwillow radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Buttonwillow, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 63 miles north. KVBX (Vandenberg AFB, CA) is 67 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Buttonwillow flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5 forecast zone and Kern 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 Buttonwillow 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 Buttonwillow, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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