Eastern Goleta Valley, CA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Eastern Goleta Valley, Santa Barbara County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Eastern Goleta ValleyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Eastern Goleta Valley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 39 days in the Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast forecast zone and Santa Barbara County — the most common reported hazard around Eastern Goleta Valley, mostly in February and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (15 days) and flooding (10 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding39Jan 2026Mar 22, 2005 · 2 deaths
Damaging thunderstorm winds15Feb 2026Mar 31, 2024 · $5,000 damage
Flooding10Nov 2001—
Wildfires5Jun 2002Sep 13, 2000 · $662,000 damage
Debris flows5Feb 2026Jan 9, 2018 · 21 deaths · $617 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 Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast forecast zone and Santa Barbara County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Eastern Goleta Valley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KVTX (Los Angeles, CA), about 35 miles east. 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 Eastern Goleta ValleyView
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		35 mi east2,200 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KVBX
Vandenberg AFB, CA		44 mi northwest3,000 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		130 mi north14,400 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 Eastern Goleta Valley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 4 tornadoes within 25 miles of Eastern Goleta Valley. Most came in January and March. The strongest was an F1 on January 3, 1977, which touched down about 2 miles west-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 21, 2023, which touched down about 14 miles east of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on January 20, 1982.

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 Eastern Goleta Valley'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.

Eastern Goleta Valley radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Eastern Goleta Valley, CA?

KVTX (Los Angeles, CA), about 35 miles east. KVBX (Vandenberg AFB, CA) is 44 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Eastern Goleta Valley flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 39 days in the Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast forecast zone and Santa Barbara County; the deadliest was on March 22, 2005, 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 Eastern Goleta Valley 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 Eastern Goleta Valley, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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