Colfax, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Colfax What TALON shows

What weather hits Colfax?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 31 days in the Northern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Placer County — the most common reported hazard around Colfax, mostly in February and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (4 days) and flash flooding (4 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	31	Apr 2026	Nov 23, 2024 · 2 deaths
Damaging thunderstorm winds	4	Mar 2025	Nov 15, 2015 · $20,000 damage
Flash flooding	4	May 2019	Jan 26, 1997 · $150,000 damage
Debris flows	4	Jun 2023	Jan 8, 2017 · $6,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	1	May 2024	May 4, 2024 · $90,000 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 Northern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Placer County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Colfax get?

A normal year brings about 7.2 inches of snow to Colfax, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Colfax weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually February (2.6 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.4	1.5	0.9	2.6	1.2	0.6	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Colfax?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 46 miles northwest. 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 Colfax	View
KBBX Beale AFB, CA	46 mi northwest	3,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KDAX Sacramento, CA	57 mi southwest	4,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KRGX Reno, NV	92 mi east-northeast	8,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Colfax

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Colfax. The strongest was an EF1 on October 22, 2012, which passed about 5 miles west of town.

Hail: 4 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on February 19, 2024.

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 Colfax'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.

Colfax radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Colfax, CA?

KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 46 miles northwest. KDAX (Sacramento, CA) is 57 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Colfax flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 31 days in the Northern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Placer County; the deadliest was on November 23, 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 Colfax 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 Colfax, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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