Del Mar, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

What weather hits Del Mar?

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 Del Mar, 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 Del Mar?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 13 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 Del MarView
KNKX
San Diego, CA
13 mi east-southeast700 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA
63 mi north-northwest4,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA
148 mi north17,900 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 Del Mar

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 18 tornadoes within 25 miles of Del Mar. Most came in March and October. The strongest was an F1 on October 8, 1961, which touched down about 15 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on September 22, 2007, which touched down about 4 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 4 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 Del Mar'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.

Del Mar radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Del Mar, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 13 miles east-southeast. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 63 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Del Mar 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 Del Mar 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 Del Mar, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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