Tehachapi, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Tehachapi What TALON shows

What weather hits Tehachapi?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the Tehachapi forecast zone and Kern County — the most common reported hazard around Tehachapi, mostly in January and March. Next come high winds (87 days) and flash flooding (72 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	120	Jan 2026	Jan 2, 2011 · $13 million damage
High winds	87	Mar 2026	May 20, 2002 · $25,000 damage
Flash flooding	72	Nov 2025	Sep 3, 1997 · $5.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	38	Mar 2024	Sep 23, 2011 · $100,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	31	Jun 2022	Jul 18, 2015 · 1 death
Debris flows	29	Nov 2024	Dec 26, 2019 · $100,000 damage
Wildfires	25	Aug 2003	Jul 21, 2002 · $3.8 million damage
Excessive heat	4	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 Tehachapi forecast zone and Kern County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Tehachapi?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 50 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Tehachapi	View
KEYX Edwards AFB, CA	50 mi east	3,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVTX Los Angeles, CA	65 mi southwest	5,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KSOX Santa Ana Mountains, CA	103 mi south-southeast	10,000 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 Tehachapi

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 3 tornadoes within 25 miles of Tehachapi. Most came in April and September. The strongest was an EF0 on September 1, 2007, which passed about 18 miles east-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 2, 2019, which touched down about 22 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 5 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on June 5, 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 Tehachapi'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.

Tehachapi radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Tehachapi, CA?

KEYX (Edwards AFB, CA), about 50 miles east. KVTX (Los Angeles, CA) is 65 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Tehachapi flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 120 days in the Tehachapi forecast zone and Kern 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 Tehachapi 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 Tehachapi, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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