El Cerrito, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for El CerritoWhat TALON shows

What weather hits El Cerrito?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 170 days in the San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around El Cerrito, mostly in December and January. Next come flash flooding (153 days) and wildfires (145 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
High winds170Jan 2026Jan 14, 2011 · 3 deaths · $15,000 damage
Flash flooding153Sep 2025Mar 5, 2000 · 1 death · $300,000 damage
Wildfires145Jan 2025Oct 10, 2019 · 2 deaths · $8.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds103Feb 2026Jul 23, 2019 · $8.0 million damage
Flooding85Dec 2025Mar 8, 2000 · 2 deaths · $60,000 damage
Excessive heat60Aug 2025Jul 21, 2006 · 10 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 1 death
Debris flows18Aug 2025Jan 6, 2016 · $2,000 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 San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover El Cerrito?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 7 miles west-southwest. 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 El CerritoView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		7 mi west-southwest300 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KNKX
San Diego, CA		69 mi south-southeast5,600 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		87 mi north7,800 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 El Cerrito

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 34 tornadoes within 25 miles of El Cerrito, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in February and November. The strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008, which touched down about 13 miles east of town. The most recent was an EF0 on October 8, 2022, which touched down about 20 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 8 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 2 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on September 2, 1960.

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 El Cerrito'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.

El Cerrito radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to El Cerrito, CA?

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 7 miles west-southwest. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 69 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in El Cerrito?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over El Cerrito the lowest scan from KSOX is about 300 ft up.

Is TALON's radar for El Cerrito 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 El Cerrito, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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