Julian, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Julian What TALON shows

What weather hits Julian?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 200 days in the San Diego County Mountains forecast zone and San Diego County — the most common reported hazard around Julian, mostly in December and January. Next come flash flooding (148 days) and wildfires (123 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
High winds	200	Jan 2026	Oct 21, 2007 · $10 million damage
Flash flooding	148	Mar 2025	Jan 22, 2024 · 2 deaths · $100,000 damage
Wildfires	123	Jan 2025	Oct 25, 2003 · 14 deaths · $1.0 billion damage
Flooding	113	Jan 2026	Dec 16, 2002 · 3 deaths · $60,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	73	Feb 2026	Mar 22, 2007 · 3 deaths
Heavy snow & winter storms	56	Jan 2025	Apr 1, 1999 · 8 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage	38	Dec 2023	Sep 2, 2001 · 1 death
Excessive heat	35	Aug 2025	Jul 21, 2006 · 3 deaths

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 Diego County Mountains forecast zone and San Diego County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Julian get?

A normal year brings about 6.4 inches of snow to Julian, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Julian Cdf weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually March (3.0 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.0	0.2	1.1	1.9	3.0	0.2	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Julian?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 28 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Julian	View
KNKX San Diego, CA	28 mi west-southwest	1,700 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX Santa Ana Mountains, CA	79 mi northwest	6,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KYUX Yuma, AZ	119 mi east-southeast	12,600 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 Julian

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 3 tornadoes within 25 miles of Julian. Most came in May and July. The strongest was an F0 on March 11, 2006, which touched down about 16 miles west of town.

Hail: 12 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on September 11, 2008.

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 Julian'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.

Julian radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Julian, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 28 miles west-southwest. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 79 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Julian?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Julian the lowest scan from KNKX is about 1,700 ft up.

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

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