Madera Ranchos, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Madera Ranchos What TALON shows

What weather hits Madera Ranchos?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Planada - Le Grand - Snelling forecast zone and Madera County — the most common reported hazard around Madera Ranchos, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (22 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (9 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	38	Feb 2025	Apr 5, 2006 · $8.6 million damage
Excessive heat	22	Aug 2025	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	9	Mar 2019	Apr 7, 2001 · $7.8 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Jan 2014	Jan 30, 2014 · $3,000 damage
Wildfires	7	Oct 2003	Aug 20, 2001 · $4.1 million damage
Debris flows	7	Mar 2025	Mar 17, 2025 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding	5	Jan 2023	Oct 29, 2007 · $25,000 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 Planada - Le Grand - Snelling forecast zone and Madera County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Madera Ranchos?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 45 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Madera Ranchos	View
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	45 mi south-southeast	3,000 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX San Francisco, CA	113 mi west	11,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDAX Sacramento, CA	147 mi northwest	17,500 ft	Limited — 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 Madera Ranchos

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 29 tornadoes within 25 miles of Madera Ranchos, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in February and May. The strongest was an F2 on March 22, 1962, which touched down about 10 miles south-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 1, 2024, which touched down about 12 miles northwest 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 Madera Ranchos'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.

Madera Ranchos radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Madera Ranchos, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 45 miles south-southeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 113 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Madera Ranchos flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 38 days in the Planada - Le Grand - Snelling 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 Madera Ranchos 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 Madera Ranchos, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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