Clearlake, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

What weather hits Clearlake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 17 days in the Eastern Lake forecast zone and Lake County — the most common reported hazard around Clearlake, mostly in February and January. Next come flash flooding (2 days) and debris flows (1 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding17Jan 2026Jan 1, 2006 · 1 death · $1.0 million damage
Flash flooding2Oct 2018Oct 3, 2018 · $10,000 damage
Debris flows1Dec 2014Dec 11, 2014 · $300,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage1Feb 2024Feb 19, 2024 · $5,000 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 Eastern Lake forecast zone and Lake County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Clearlake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 60 miles east-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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over ClearlakeView
KDAX
Sacramento, CA
60 mi east-southeast4,600 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA
65 mi northeast5,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX
San Francisco, CA
131 mi south-southeast14,600 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 Clearlake

NOAA has no tornado on record within 25 miles of Clearlake since 1950.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.50-inch hail on September 25, 1990.

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 Clearlake'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.

Clearlake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Clearlake, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 60 miles east-southeast. KBBX (Beale AFB, CA) is 65 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Clearlake flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 17 days in the Eastern Lake forecast zone and Lake County; the deadliest was on January 1, 2006, with 1 death. 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 Clearlake 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 Clearlake, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

All California towns →