Sonoma, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Sonoma What TALON shows

What weather hits Sonoma?

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 Sonoma, mostly in February and January. Next come debris flows (29 days) and flash flooding (28 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	77	Jan 2026	Feb 4, 2025 · 1 death
Debris flows	29	Feb 2025	Apr 1, 2006 · 1 death · $34 million damage
Flash flooding	28	Jan 2019	Dec 31, 1996 · 1 death
Excessive heat	19	Mar 2026	Jul 21, 2006 · 1 death
Coastal flooding	16	Jan 2026	—
High winds	12	Mar 2023	Mar 19, 2011 · 1 death · $35,000 damage
Wildfires	6	Jun 2024	Jun 16, 2024 · $10 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	Aug 2020	Jan 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 Sonoma?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 45 miles east-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 Sonoma	View
KDAX Sacramento, CA	45 mi east-northeast	3,100 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMUX San Francisco, CA	84 mi south-southeast	7,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KBBX Beale AFB, CA	94 mi north-northeast	8,800 ft	Fair — 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 Sonoma

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 14 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sonoma, 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 17 miles west-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on April 27, 2016, which touched down about 24 miles northeast of town.

Hail: 3 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on August 19, 1983.

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 Sonoma'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.

Sonoma radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Sonoma, CA?

KDAX (Sacramento, CA), about 45 miles east-northeast. KMUX (San Francisco, CA) is 84 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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 Sonoma, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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