Palm Desert, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Palm DesertWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Palm Desert?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the Coachella Valley forecast zone and Riverside County — the most common reported hazard around Palm Desert, mostly in August and September. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (103 days) and high winds (92 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
High winds92May 2025Dec 25, 2008 · $500,000 damage
Wildfires88Jun 2024Jun 29, 2001 · 1 death
Flooding83Dec 2025Mar 8, 2000 · 2 deaths · $60,000 damage
Excessive heat70Aug 2025Jun 14, 2021 · 1 death
Dust storms31Sep 2023Sep 1, 2023 · 3 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage29Jan 2024Jul 30, 2003 · 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 Coachella Valley forecast zone and Riverside County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Palm Desert?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 69 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 Palm DesertView
KNKX
San Diego, CA		69 mi southwest5,500 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KSOX
Santa Ana Mountains, CA		73 mi west6,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KEYX
Edwards AFB, CA		116 mi northwest12,100 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 Palm Desert

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Palm Desert. The strongest was an EF1 on August 6, 2015, which passed about 15 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on August 16, 2018, which touched down about 22 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 5 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 Palm Desert'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.

Palm Desert radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Palm Desert, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 69 miles southwest. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 73 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Palm Desert flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 153 days in the Coachella Valley forecast zone and Riverside County; the deadliest was on March 5, 2000, 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 Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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