McKittrick, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for McKittrickWhat TALON shows

What weather hits McKittrick?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the West Side Mountains South of 198 forecast zone and Kern County — the most common reported hazard around McKittrick, mostly in January and March. Next come flash flooding (72 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (38 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding120Jan 2026Jan 2, 2011 · $13 million damage
Flash flooding72Nov 2025Sep 3, 1997 · $5.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds38Mar 2024Sep 23, 2011 · $100,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage31Jun 2022Jul 18, 2015 · 1 death
Debris flows29Nov 2024Dec 26, 2019 · $100,000 damage
Wildfires25Aug 2003Jul 21, 2002 · $3.8 million damage
High winds20Feb 2025May 20, 2002 · $25,000 damage
Excessive heat19Aug 2025—

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 West Side Mountains South of 198 forecast zone and Kern County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover McKittrick?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KVBX (Vandenberg AFB, CA), about 54 miles 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 McKittrickView
KVBX
Vandenberg AFB, CA		54 mi southwest3,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVTX
Los Angeles, CA		66 mi south-southeast5,200 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		70 mi north5,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly

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 McKittrick

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 3 tornadoes within 25 miles of McKittrick. Most came in February and March. The strongest was an F1 on March 17, 1991, which touched down about 14 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on February 23, 2015, which touched down about 16 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on June 10, 2015.

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 McKittrick'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.

McKittrick radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to McKittrick, CA?

KVBX (Vandenberg AFB, CA), about 54 miles southwest. KVTX (Los Angeles, CA) is 66 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does McKittrick flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the West Side Mountains South of 198 forecast zone and Kern 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 McKittrick 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 McKittrick, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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