Santa Rosa, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Santa RosaWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Santa Rosa?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 77 days in the North Bay Interior Valleys forecast zone and Sonoma County — the most common reported hazard around Santa Rosa, mostly in February and January. Next come debris flows (29 days) and flash flooding (28 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding77Jan 2026Feb 4, 2025 · 1 death
Debris flows29Feb 2025Apr 1, 2006 · 1 death · $34 million damage
Flash flooding28Jan 2019Dec 31, 1996 · 1 death
Excessive heat19Mar 2026Jul 21, 2006 · 1 death
Coastal flooding16Jan 2026—
High winds12Mar 2023Mar 19, 2011 · 1 death · $35,000 damage
Wildfires6Jun 2024Jun 16, 2024 · $10 damage
Lightning casualties & damage3Aug 2020Jan 25, 2001 · $1.0 million 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 North Bay Interior Valleys forecast zone and Sonoma County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Santa Rosa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 56 miles east. 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 Santa RosaView
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		56 mi east4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBBX
Beale AFB, CA		93 mi northeast8,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		100 mi south-southeast9,500 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Santa Rosa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 11 tornadoes within 25 miles of Santa Rosa, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in December and February. The strongest was an F2 on June 1, 1958, which passed about 4 miles southwest of town. The most recent was an EF1 on March 18, 2011, which touched down near town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on July 28, 1958.

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 Santa Rosa'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.

Santa Rosa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Santa Rosa, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 56 miles east. KBBX (Beale AFB, CA) is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Santa Rosa flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 77 days in the North Bay Interior Valleys forecast zone and Sonoma County; the deadliest was on February 4, 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 Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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