Merced, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Merced What TALON shows

What weather hits Merced?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced County — the most common reported hazard around Merced, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (23 days) and lightning casualties & damage (8 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	56	Mar 2025	Jan 9, 2023 · $10 million damage
Excessive heat	23	Mar 2026	—
Lightning casualties & damage	8	May 2016	May 5, 2016 · $1.0 million damage
Flash flooding	5	Feb 2025	Mar 25, 1998 · $11 million damage
Wildfires	4	Jun 2003	Jun 2, 2003 · $15,000 damage
Debris flows	4	Feb 2024	—
High winds	3	Feb 2024	Feb 4, 2024 · $1,000 damage
Dust storms	2	Nov 2024	Nov 11, 2024 · $400,000 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 Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Merced?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 79 miles west. 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 Merced	View
KMUX San Francisco, CA	79 mi west	6,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	83 mi southeast	7,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX Sacramento, CA	105 mi northwest	10,400 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 Merced

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 22 tornadoes within 25 miles of Merced. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F1 on March 4, 1978, which touched down about 22 miles west-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF1 on November 15, 2015, which passed about 22 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 6 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on April 12, 2012.

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 Merced'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.

Merced radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Merced, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 79 miles west. KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA) is 83 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Merced flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Merced - Madera - Mendota forecast zone and Merced 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 Merced 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 Merced, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

All California towns →