Chico, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chico What TALON shows

What weather hits Chico?

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 Chico, mostly in February and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (8 days) and flash flooding (7 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	44	Feb 2026	Feb 12, 2017 · $549 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	8	Feb 2023	Sep 18, 2019 · $4.0 million damage
Flash flooding	7	Nov 2020	Feb 9, 2014 · $700,000 damage
Debris flows	5	Sep 2019	Jan 9, 2017 · $4.3 million damage
Wildfires	4	Sep 2000	Sep 18, 2000 · $1.9 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	4	Jan 2019	Jun 5, 2007 · $80,000 damage
Excessive heat	1	Jun 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 Chico?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 21 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Chico	View
KBBX Beale AFB, CA	21 mi south-southeast	1,200 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KDAX Sacramento, CA	87 mi south	7,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRGX Reno, NV	125 mi east	13,600 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 Chico

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 26 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chico, 4 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 21 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF1 on December 19, 2023, which touched down about 3 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 15 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on March 17, 2025.

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 Chico'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.

Chico radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chico, CA?

KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 21 miles south-southeast. KDAX (Sacramento, CA) is 87 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Chico 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 Chico 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 Chico, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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