Lafayette, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for LafayetteWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Lafayette?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 40 days in the East Bay Interior Valleys forecast zone and Contra Costa County — the most common reported hazard around Lafayette, mostly in January and February. Next come excessive heat (19 days) and high winds (11 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding40Jan 2026Jan 1, 2006 · $22 million damage
Excessive heat19Mar 2026Jun 27, 2009 · 1 death
High winds11Jan 2019Jan 7, 2017 · 1 death
Debris flows11Feb 2019Apr 6, 2006 · $11 million damage
Wildfires8May 2022Aug 7, 2019 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding7Feb 2000Feb 13, 2000 · $100,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds2Apr 2024Apr 5, 2024 · $10 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 East Bay Interior Valleys forecast zone and Contra Costa County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lafayette?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 48 miles north-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 LafayetteView
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		48 mi north-northeast3,400 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		52 mi south-southeast3,800 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		114 mi north-northeast11,700 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 Lafayette

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 12 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lafayette. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F1 on March 20, 2005, which passed about 23 miles southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on April 7, 2011, which touched down about 24 miles north 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 Lafayette'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.

Lafayette radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lafayette, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 48 miles north-northeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 52 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Lafayette flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 40 days in the East Bay Interior Valleys 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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