Joshua Tree, CA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Joshua Tree, San Bernardino County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Joshua TreeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Joshua Tree?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 340 days in the Morongo Basin forecast zone and San Bernardino County — the most common reported hazard around Joshua Tree, mostly in August and July. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (129 days) and flooding (106 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding340Feb 2026Aug 26, 2003 · 3 deaths · $50,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds129Feb 2026Jun 3, 2009 · 1 death · $20,000 damage
Flooding106Feb 2026Dec 19, 2010 · 1 death
Wildfires79May 2015Oct 25, 2003 · 4 deaths · $696 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage58Sep 2024Jun 3, 2009 · 1 death · $1,000 damage
High winds51Apr 2026Feb 19, 2018 · $60,000 damage
Excessive heat39Aug 2025Sep 2, 2007 · 1 death
Debris flows39Aug 2025Sep 12, 2022 · 1 death · $6.0 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 Morongo Basin forecast zone and San Bernardino County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Joshua Tree?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 79 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 Joshua TreeView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		79 mi west-southwest6,700 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KNKX
San Diego, CA		93 mi south-southwest8,600 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 Joshua Tree

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 8 tornadoes within 25 miles of Joshua Tree, 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 8 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 19, 2015, which touched down about 13 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 11 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 Joshua Tree'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.

Joshua Tree radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Joshua Tree, CA?

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 79 miles west-southwest. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Joshua Tree?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Joshua Tree the lowest scan from KSOX is about 6,700 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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