Ponderosa, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Ponderosa What TALON shows

What weather hits Ponderosa?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 89 days in the South End of the Upper Sierra forecast zone and Tulare County — the most common reported hazard around Ponderosa, mostly in February and November. Next come flooding (86 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (26 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
High winds	89	Nov 2025	—
Flooding	86	Dec 2025	Jan 10, 2023 · 2 deaths · $100,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	26	Nov 2025	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	22	Mar 2023	Apr 7, 2001 · $19 million damage
Wildfires	22	Nov 2003	Aug 1, 2002 · $46 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	20	Sep 2017	Jul 28, 2005 · 2 deaths
Flash flooding	17	Oct 2021	Jul 22, 2013 · $225,000 damage
Debris flows	11	Jul 2024	—

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 South End of the Upper Sierra forecast zone and Tulare County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Ponderosa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 63 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Ponderosa	View
KHNX San Joaquin Valley, CA	63 mi west-northwest	4,900 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX Edwards AFB, CA	88 mi southeast	8,000 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KVTX Los Angeles, CA	123 mi south-southwest	13,200 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 Ponderosa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 1 tornado within 25 miles of Ponderosa. The strongest was an F1 on February 19, 1962, which touched down about 9 miles north of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on June 16, 2004.

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 Ponderosa'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.

Ponderosa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ponderosa, CA?

KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA), about 63 miles west-northwest. KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA) is 88 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ponderosa?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ponderosa the lowest scan from KHNX is about 4,900 ft up.

Is TALON's radar for Ponderosa 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 Ponderosa, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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