Kensington, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for KensingtonWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Kensington?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 40 days in the San Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Contra Costa County — the most common reported hazard around Kensington, mostly in January and February. Next come high winds (26 days) and debris flows (11 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding40Jan 2026Jan 1, 2006 · $22 million damage
High winds26Jan 2026Oct 13, 2009 · $2.5 million damage
Debris flows11Feb 2019Jan 21, 2012 · $75,000 damage
Excessive heat10Mar 2026May 17, 2009 · $10,000 damage
Flash flooding7Feb 2000Feb 13, 2000 · $100,000 damage
Coastal flooding4Jan 2026—
Damaging thunderstorm winds2Apr 2024Apr 5, 2024 · $10 damage
Wildfires1Oct 2019—

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 Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Contra Costa County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Kensington?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 53 miles 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 KensingtonView
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		53 mi northeast3,800 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		56 mi south-southeast4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		115 mi north-northeast12,000 ftLimited — 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 Kensington

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Kensington. Most came in September and December. The strongest was an F1 on March 20, 2005, which passed about 19 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 2 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on August 19, 1983.

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 Kensington'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.

Kensington radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Kensington, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 53 miles northeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 56 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Kensington flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 40 days in the San Francisco Bay Shoreline forecast zone and Contra Costa 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 Kensington 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 Kensington, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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