Palmdale, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Palmdale What TALON shows

What weather hits Palmdale?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 115 days in the Antelope Valley forecast zone and Los Angeles County — the most common reported hazard around Palmdale, mostly in February and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (33 days) and wildfires (15 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flash flooding	115	Feb 2026	Feb 23, 1998 · 3 deaths
Damaging thunderstorm winds	33	Feb 2026	Mar 31, 2024 · $5,000 damage
Wildfires	15	Oct 2003	Sep 22, 2002 · $15 million damage
Flooding	14	Feb 2026	—
Debris flows	12	Feb 2026	—
Lightning casualties & damage	9	Jun 2022	Jun 22, 2022 · 1 death
High winds	3	Jan 2026	—
Storm surge	1	Jan 1997	—

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 Antelope Valley forecast zone and Los Angeles County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Palmdale?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 47 miles northeast. 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 Palmdale	View
KEYX Edwards AFB, CA	47 mi northeast	3,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KSOX Santa Ana Mountains, CA	60 mi south-southeast	4,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVTX Los Angeles, CA	62 mi west	4,800 ft	Good — 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 Palmdale

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Palmdale. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an EF0 on September 1, 2007, which passed about 18 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on September 9, 2021, which touched down about 20 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 8 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on October 15, 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 Palmdale'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.

Palmdale radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Palmdale, CA?

KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 47 miles northeast. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 60 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Palmdale flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 115 days in the Antelope Valley forecast zone and Los Angeles County; the deadliest was on February 23, 1998, with 3 deaths. 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 Palmdale 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 Palmdale, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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