Modesto, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Modesto What TALON shows

What weather hits Modesto?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 15 days in the Central Stanislaus County Including Modesto Metro forecast zone and Stanislaus County — the most common reported hazard around Modesto, mostly in December and January. Next come lightning casualties & damage (3 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (3 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	15	Apr 2026	Jan 1, 2006 · 1 death · $100,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	May 2018	Mar 21, 2017 · $200,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	3	Mar 2025	Dec 24, 2015 · $150,000 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 Central Stanislaus County Including Modesto Metro forecast zone and Stanislaus County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Modesto?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 59 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Modesto	View
KMUX San Francisco, CA	59 mi southwest	4,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KDAX Sacramento, CA	70 mi north-northwest	5,700 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	119 mi southeast	12,500 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 Modesto

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 21 tornadoes within 25 miles of Modesto, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F2 on April 27, 1953, which touched down near town. The most recent was an EF0 on April 1, 2025, which touched down about 5 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 3 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on May 7, 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 Modesto'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.

Modesto radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Modesto, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 59 miles southwest. KDAX (Sacramento, CA) is 70 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Modesto flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 15 days in the Central Stanislaus County Including Modesto Metro forecast zone and Stanislaus County; the deadliest was on January 1, 2006, with 1 death. 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 Modesto 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 Modesto, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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