Lake Riverside, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lake RiversideWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Lake Riverside?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the Riverside County Mountains forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around Lake Riverside, mostly in August and September. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (103 days) and wildfires (100 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding153Sep 2025Mar 5, 2000 · 1 death · $300,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds103Feb 2026Jul 23, 2019 · $8.0 million damage
Wildfires100Oct 2024Oct 26, 2006 · 5 deaths · $10 million damage
Flooding83Dec 2025Mar 8, 2000 · 2 deaths · $60,000 damage
High winds73Dec 2022Feb 3, 2005 · $1.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms72Mar 2024Mar 1, 2023 · $400,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 1 death
Excessive heat24Aug 2025Jun 14, 2021 · 1 death

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 Riverside County Mountains forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lake Riverside?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 43 miles south-southwest. 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 RiversideView
KNKX
San Diego, CA		43 mi south-southwest2,900 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		52 mi west-northwest3,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		117 mi north-northwest12,300 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 Riverside

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 10 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake Riverside. Most came in July and August. The strongest was an F1 on July 20, 1974, which touched down about 18 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on August 16, 2018, which touched down about 8 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 6 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.50-inch hail on August 30, 2008.

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 Riverside'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 Riverside radar FAQ

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

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 43 miles south-southwest. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 52 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lake Riverside?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lake Riverside the lowest scan from KNKX is about 2,900 ft up.

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

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