Desert Hot Springs, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Desert Hot SpringsWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Desert Hot Springs?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around Desert Hot Springs, 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
Wildfires78Aug 2024Jun 29, 2001 · 1 death
High winds69Apr 2026Apr 12, 2018 · $30,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 1 death
Debris flows17Aug 2025Jan 6, 2016 · $2,000 damage
Excessive heat2Sep 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 San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Desert Hot Springs?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 63 miles west. 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 Hot SpringsView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		63 mi west4,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KNKX
San Diego, CA		77 mi south-southwest6,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		98 mi northwest9,300 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 Desert Hot Springs

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Desert Hot Springs, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and July. The strongest was an F2 on September 7, 1982, which touched down about 21 miles north-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 19, 2015, which touched down about 25 miles north-northeast of town.

Hail: 12 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on August 14, 2004.

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 Hot Springs'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 Hot Springs radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Desert Hot Springs, CA?

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 63 miles west. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 77 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Desert Hot Springs flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning 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 Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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