Phoenix Lake, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Phoenix LakeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Phoenix Lake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 10 days in the Southern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Tuolumne County — the most common reported hazard around Phoenix Lake, mostly in March and July. Next come flooding (9 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (6 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flash flooding10Mar 2023Nov 22, 1996 · 1 death
Flooding9Mar 2023Mar 4, 2023 · $42 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds6Mar 2023Mar 21, 2017 · $1.0 million damage
Debris flows3Sep 2017Mar 6, 2014 · $50,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage2Jul 2013Jul 1, 2013 · 1 death
Wildfires1Aug 1996—

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 Southern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Tuolumne County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Phoenix Lake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 82 miles west-northwest. 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 Phoenix LakeView
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		82 mi west-northwest7,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		105 mi west-southwest10,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		123 mi south-southeast13,200 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 Phoenix Lake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Phoenix Lake. The strongest was an EF1 on March 11, 2023, which touched down about 13 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 4 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.25-inch hail on March 21, 2017.

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 Phoenix Lake'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.

Phoenix Lake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Phoenix Lake, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 82 miles west-northwest. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 105 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Phoenix Lake flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 10 days in the Southern Motherlode Between 1000-3000 ft forecast zone and Tuolumne County; the deadliest was on November 22, 1996, 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 Phoenix Lake 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 Phoenix Lake, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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