Desert Center, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Desert CenterWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Desert Center?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the Chuckwalla Valley forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around Desert Center, mostly in August and September. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (103 days) and flooding (83 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding153Sep 2025Mar 5, 2000 · 1 death · $300,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds103Feb 2026Jul 23, 2019 · $8.0 million damage
Flooding83Dec 2025Mar 8, 2000 · 2 deaths · $60,000 damage
Wildfires75Nov 2003Jun 29, 2001 · 1 death
Excessive heat46Jun 2024—
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 1 death
Debris flows17Aug 2025Jan 6, 2016 · $2,000 damage
Dust storms6Sep 2022—

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 Chuckwalla Valley forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Desert Center?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KYUX (Yuma, AZ), about 95 miles south-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 Desert CenterView
KYUX
Yuma, AZ		95 mi south-southeast8,900 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KNKX
San Diego, CA		112 mi west-southwest11,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		130 mi west14,500 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 Desert Center

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 3 tornadoes within 25 miles of Desert Center, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in February and April. The strongest was an F3 on February 9, 1978, which touched down about 24 miles west of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on August 28, 2022, which touched down about 2 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on August 24, 2013.

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 Desert Center'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.

Desert Center radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Desert Center, CA?

KYUX (Yuma, AZ), about 95 miles south-southeast. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 112 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Desert Center flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the Chuckwalla Valley forecast zone and Riverside County; the deadliest was on March 5, 2000, 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 Desert Center 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 Desert Center, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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