Costa Mesa, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Costa MesaWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Costa Mesa?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 64 days in the Orange County Coastal forecast zone and Orange County — the most common reported hazard around Costa Mesa, mostly in February and March. Next come flash flooding (41 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (24 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding64Feb 2026Dec 19, 2010 · $36 million damage
Flash flooding41Nov 2025Feb 23, 1998 · 2 deaths · $30 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds24Feb 2026Dec 6, 1998 · $450,000 damage
Wildfires23Jun 2022May 11, 2022 · $60 million damage
Excessive heat12Oct 2023—
Coastal flooding10Dec 2023Jul 3, 2020 · $40,000 damage
Debris flows10Mar 2023Mar 10, 2021 · $50,000 damage
High winds5Mar 2024Feb 17, 2017 · $75,000 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 Orange County Coastal forecast zone and Orange County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Costa Mesa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 19 miles east-northeast. 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 Costa MesaView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		19 mi east-northeast1,100 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KNKX
San Diego, CA		72 mi southeast5,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		89 mi northwest8,100 ftFair — 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 Costa Mesa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 45 tornadoes within 25 miles of Costa Mesa, 3 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in January and February. The strongest was an F2 on November 7, 1966, which passed about 22 miles northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 13, 2025, which touched down about 25 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 9 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on January 31, 1979.

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 Costa Mesa'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.

Costa Mesa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Costa Mesa, CA?

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 19 miles east-northeast. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 72 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Costa Mesa flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 64 days in the Orange County Coastal forecast zone and Orange 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 Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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