La Vina, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

What weather hits La Vina?

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 La Vina, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (23 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (9 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding38Feb 2025Apr 5, 2006 · $8.6 million damage
Excessive heat23Mar 2026—
Damaging thunderstorm winds9Mar 2019Apr 7, 2001 · $7.8 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage7Jan 2014Jan 30, 2014 · $3,000 damage
Wildfires7Oct 2003Aug 20, 2001 · $4.1 million damage
Debris flows7Mar 2025Mar 17, 2025 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding5Jan 2023Oct 29, 2007 · $25,000 damage
Dust storms2Nov 2024Nov 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 La Vina?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 47 miles 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over La VinaView
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA
47 mi southeast3,300 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX
San Francisco, CA
100 mi west-northwest9,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX
Sacramento, CA
141 mi northwest16,400 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 La Vina

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 30 tornadoes within 25 miles of La Vina, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and February. The strongest was an F2 on March 22, 1962, which touched down about 18 miles east-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 1, 2024, which touched down about 10 miles north-northeast of town.

Hail: 18 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 La Vina'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.

La Vina radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to La Vina, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 47 miles southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 100 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does La Vina 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 La Vina 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 La Vina, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

All California towns →