Salinas, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for SalinasWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Salinas?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 53 days in the Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley forecast zone and Monterey County — the most common reported hazard around Salinas, mostly in January and February. Next come flash flooding (21 days) and debris flows (18 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding53Feb 2026Feb 13, 2025 · 1 death
Flash flooding21Mar 2024Feb 6, 1998 · $10 million damage
Debris flows18Feb 2025May 19, 2017 · $10 million damage
Excessive heat6Mar 2026Oct 2, 2012 · 1 death
Damaging thunderstorm winds6Dec 2025Feb 13, 2025 · $10 damage
High winds4Dec 2025—
Wildfires4Jul 2000Sep 8, 1999 · $67 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage3Jan 2023Jan 10, 2023 · $1,000 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 Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley forecast zone and Monterey County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Salinas?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 35 miles north-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 SalinasView
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		35 mi north-northwest2,200 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		114 mi east-southeast11,800 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		125 mi north13,600 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 Salinas

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 11 tornadoes within 25 miles of Salinas, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in December and April. The strongest was an F2 on March 11, 1985, which touched down about 17 miles northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on January 6, 2016, which touched down about 22 miles northeast of town.

Hail: 6 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on April 1, 1965.

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 Salinas'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.

Salinas radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Salinas, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 35 miles north-northwest. KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA) is 114 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Salinas flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 53 days in the Northern Salinas Valley/Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley forecast zone and Monterey County; the deadliest was on February 13, 2025, 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 Salinas 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 Salinas, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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