South Dos Palos, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for South Dos PalosWhat TALON shows

What weather hits South Dos Palos?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Los Banos - Dos Palos forecast zone and Merced County — the most common reported hazard around South Dos Palos, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (21 days) and lightning casualties & damage (8 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding56Mar 2025Jan 9, 2023 · $10 million damage
Excessive heat21Aug 2025—
Lightning casualties & damage8May 2016May 5, 2016 · $1.0 million damage
Flash flooding5Feb 2025Mar 25, 1998 · $11 million damage
Wildfires4Jun 2003Jun 2, 2003 · $15,000 damage
Debris flows4Feb 2024—
High winds3Feb 2024Feb 4, 2024 · $20,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds2Oct 2007Apr 1, 1996 · $330,000 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 Los Banos - Dos Palos forecast zone and Merced County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover South Dos Palos?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 70 miles west. 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 South Dos PalosView
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		70 mi west5,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		72 mi southeast5,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		120 mi north-northwest12,700 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 South Dos Palos

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 16 tornadoes within 25 miles of South Dos Palos. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F1 on February 14, 1998, which passed about 12 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 2, 2019, which touched down about 20 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 5 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on March 12, 2023.

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 South Dos Palos'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.

South Dos Palos radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to South Dos Palos, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 70 miles west. KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA) is 72 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does South Dos Palos flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Los Banos - Dos Palos forecast zone and Merced County. 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 South Dos Palos 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 South Dos Palos, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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