Lake Elsinore, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lake ElsinoreWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Lake Elsinore?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 170 days in the San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around Lake Elsinore, mostly in December and January. Next come flash flooding (153 days) and wildfires (145 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
High winds170Jan 2026Jan 14, 2011 · 3 deaths · $15,000 damage
Flash flooding153Sep 2025Mar 5, 2000 · 1 death · $300,000 damage
Wildfires145Jan 2025Oct 10, 2019 · 2 deaths · $8.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds103Feb 2026Jul 23, 2019 · $8.0 million damage
Flooding85Dec 2025Mar 8, 2000 · 2 deaths · $60,000 damage
Excessive heat60Aug 2025Jul 21, 2006 · 10 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 1 death
Debris flows18Aug 2025Jan 6, 2016 · $2,000 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 San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lake Elsinore?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 20 miles west-northwest. 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 ElsinoreView
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		20 mi west-northwest1,100 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KNKX
San Diego, CA		56 mi south-southeast4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		98 mi north9,400 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Elsinore

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 26 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake Elsinore, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in January and February. The strongest was an EF2 on May 22, 2008, which touched down about 12 miles north-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on October 8, 2022, which touched down about 7 miles east of town.

Hail: 7 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on September 2, 1960.

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 Elsinore'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 Elsinore radar FAQ

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

KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA), about 20 miles west-northwest. KNKX (San Diego, CA) is 56 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lake Elsinore?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lake Elsinore the lowest scan from KSOX is about 1,100 ft up.

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

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