Fountain Valley, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Fountain ValleyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Fountain Valley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 64 days in the Orange County Inland forecast zone and Orange County — the most common reported hazard around Fountain Valley, mostly in February and March. Next come excessive heat (42 days) and flash flooding (41 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding64Feb 2026Dec 19, 2010 · $36 million damage
Excessive heat42Mar 2026Jul 8, 2020 · 1 death
Flash flooding41Nov 2025Feb 23, 1998 · 2 deaths · $30 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds24Feb 2026Dec 6, 1998 · $450,000 damage
Wildfires21Nov 2024Oct 9, 2017 · $25 million damage
High winds13Jan 2025Oct 15, 2018 · 1 death
Debris flows10Mar 2023Mar 10, 2021 · $50,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage4Mar 2016Mar 3, 2000 · $50,000 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 Orange County Inland forecast zone and Orange County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Fountain Valley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 20 miles east-northeast. 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 Fountain ValleyView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		20 mi east-northeast1,100 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KNKX
San Diego, CA		76 mi southeast6,400 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		85 mi northwest7,600 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 Fountain Valley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 48 tornadoes within 25 miles of Fountain Valley, 4 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in January and November. The strongest was an F2 on November 7, 1966, which passed about 18 miles northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 13, 2025, which touched down about 21 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 10 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on January 31, 1979.

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 Fountain 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.

Fountain Valley radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Fountain Valley, CA?

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 20 miles east-northeast. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 76 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Fountain Valley flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 64 days in the Orange County Inland forecast zone and Orange 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 Fountain 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 Fountain Valley, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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