Chula Vista, CA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Chula Vista, San Diego County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Chula VistaWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Chula Vista?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County — the most common reported hazard around Chula Vista, mostly in August and January. Next come flooding (116 days) and wildfires (100 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding148Mar 2025Jan 22, 2024 · 2 deaths · $100,000 damage
Flooding116Jan 2026Dec 16, 2002 · 3 deaths · $60,000 damage
Wildfires100Jan 2025Oct 25, 2003 · 14 deaths · $1.0 billion damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds73Feb 2026Mar 22, 2007 · 3 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage38Dec 2023Sep 2, 2001 · 1 death
Excessive heat28Aug 2025—
Debris flows24Aug 2024Oct 3, 2007 · $48 million damage
High winds17Feb 2023Feb 17, 2017 · 1 death · $7.1 million 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 San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Chula Vista?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 20 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 Chula VistaView
KNKX
San Diego, CA		20 mi north1,100 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		90 mi north-northwest8,200 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KYUX
Yuma, AZ		138 mi east15,800 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 Chula Vista

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 10 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chula Vista. Most came in February and January. The strongest was an F1 on April 13, 1956, which touched down about 4 miles west of town. The most recent was an F0 on February 23, 2005, which touched down about 4 miles west of town.

Hail: 3 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on June 3, 2009.

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 Chula Vista'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.

Chula Vista radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chula Vista, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 20 miles north. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 90 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Chula Vista flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County; the deadliest was on January 22, 2024, 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 Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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