University of California-Merced, CA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for University of California-MercedWhat TALON shows

What weather hits University of California-Merced?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Planada - Le Grand - Snelling forecast zone and Merced County — the most common reported hazard around University of California-Merced, mostly in January and March. Next come excessive heat (22 days) and lightning casualties & damage (8 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding56Mar 2025Jan 9, 2023 · $10 million damage
Excessive heat22Aug 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—
Damaging thunderstorm winds2Oct 2007Apr 1, 1996 · $330,000 damage
High winds2Aug 2002—

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 Planada - Le Grand - Snelling forecast zone and Merced County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover University of California-Merced?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 83 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 University of California-MercedView
KMUX
San Francisco, CA		83 mi west7,200 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KHNX
San Joaquin Valley, CA		85 mi south-southeast7,500 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDAX
Sacramento, CA		104 mi northwest10,200 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 University of California-Merced

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 21 tornadoes within 25 miles of University of California-Merced. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F1 on March 4, 1978, which touched down about 24 miles west of town. The most recent was an EF0 on February 2, 2019, which touched down about 25 miles east of town.

Hail: 5 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on April 12, 2012.

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 University of California-Merced'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.

University of California-Merced radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to University of California-Merced, CA?

KMUX (San Francisco, CA), about 83 miles west. KHNX (San Joaquin Valley, CA) is 85 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does University of California-Merced flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 56 days in the Planada - Le Grand - Snelling 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 University of California-Merced 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 University of California-Merced, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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