Chowchilla, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chowchilla What TALON shows

What weather hits Chowchilla?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera County — the most common reported hazard around Chowchilla, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (23 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (9 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	38	Feb 2025	Apr 5, 2006 · $8.6 million damage
Excessive heat	23	Mar 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	9	Mar 2019	Apr 7, 2001 · $7.8 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Jan 2014	Jan 30, 2014 · $3,000 damage
Wildfires	7	Oct 2003	Aug 20, 2001 · $4.1 million damage
Debris flows	7	Mar 2025	Mar 17, 2025 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding	5	Jan 2023	Oct 29, 2007 · $25,000 damage
Dust storms	2	Nov 2024	Nov 11, 2024 · $400,000 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 Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Chowchilla?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 65 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 Chowchilla	View
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	65 mi south-southeast	5,100 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX San Francisco, CA	91 mi west	8,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX Sacramento, CA	124 mi northwest	13,400 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 Chowchilla

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 22 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chowchilla. Most came in March and February. The strongest was an F1 on February 14, 1998, which passed about 21 miles south-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 1, 2024, which touched down about 12 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 7 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on May 20, 2002.

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 Chowchilla'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.

Chowchilla radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chowchilla, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 65 miles south-southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 91 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Chowchilla flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera 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 Chowchilla 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 Chowchilla, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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