Lake California, CA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Lake California, Tehama County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Lake CaliforniaWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Lake California?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 30 days in the Northern Sacramento Valley in Tehama County forecast zone and Tehama County — the most common reported hazard around Lake California, mostly in February and December. Next come wildfires (6 days) and flash flooding (5 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding30Apr 2026Feb 17, 2017 · 1 death
Wildfires6Oct 2000Sep 29, 2000 · $547 million damage
Flash flooding5Dec 2025Dec 3, 2014 · $6.7 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds3Jan 2023Feb 22, 2007 · $6,000 damage
Excessive heat1Jun 2026—
Lightning casualties & damage1May 2020May 18, 2020 · $5,000 damage
Debris flows1Dec 2024—

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 Northern Sacramento Valley in Tehama County forecast zone and Tehama County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lake California?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 67 miles south-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 Lake CaliforniaView
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		67 mi south-southeast5,300 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBHX
Eureka, CA		110 mi west11,100 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMAX
Medford, OR		122 mi north-northwest13,100 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 Lake California

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake California, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and May. The strongest was an F2 on May 9, 1980, which touched down about 16 miles south of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on January 3, 2025, which touched down about 6 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 19 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 4 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 24, 2019.

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 Lake California'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.

Lake California radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lake California, CA?

KBBX (Beale AFB, CA), about 67 miles south-southeast. KBHX (Eureka, CA) is 110 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Lake California flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 30 days in the Northern Sacramento Valley in Tehama County forecast zone and Tehama County; the deadliest was on February 17, 2017, with 1 death. 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 Lake California 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 Lake California, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

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