Fairmead, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Fairmead What TALON shows

What weather hits Fairmead?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera County — the most common reported hazard around Fairmead, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (23 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (9 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	38	Feb 2025	Apr 5, 2006 · $8.6 million damage
Excessive heat	23	Mar 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	9	Mar 2019	Apr 7, 2001 · $7.8 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Jan 2014	Jan 30, 2014 · $3,000 damage
Wildfires	7	Oct 2003	Aug 20, 2001 · $4.1 million damage
Debris flows	7	Mar 2025	Mar 17, 2025 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding	5	Jan 2023	Oct 29, 2007 · $25,000 damage
Dust storms	2	Nov 2024	Nov 11, 2024 · $400,000 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 Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Fairmead?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 61 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Fairmead	View
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	61 mi south-southeast	4,700 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX San Francisco, CA	94 mi west	8,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX Sacramento, CA	127 mi northwest	14,000 ft	Limited — 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 Fairmead

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 24 tornadoes within 25 miles of Fairmead. Most came in March and February. The strongest was an F1 on February 14, 1998, which passed about 20 miles southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 1, 2024, which touched down about 8 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 9 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on May 20, 2002.

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 Fairmead'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.

Fairmead radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Fairmead, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 61 miles south-southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 94 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Fairmead flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Madera County. 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 Fairmead 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 Fairmead, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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