Lake Butler, FL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lake Butler What TALON shows

What weather hits Lake Butler?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 63 days in the Union forecast zone and Union County — the most common reported hazard around Lake Butler, mostly in July and June. Next come hurricanes & tropical storms (8 days) and wildfires (6 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	63	May 2026	Mar 30, 2000 · $50,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	8	Sep 2024	—
Wildfires	6	Mar 2022	—
Flooding	4	Jan 2010	Mar 1, 1998 · $1.3 million damage
Flash flooding	3	Mar 2003	Mar 30, 2000 · $3,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	1	Jan 2018	—
High winds	1	Feb 2020	Feb 6, 2020 · $80,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	1	May 2003	—

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 Union forecast zone and Union County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lake Butler?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KJAX (Jacksonville, FL), about 50 miles 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 Lake Butler	View
KJAX Jacksonville, FL	50 mi northeast	3,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KVAX Moody AFB, GA	72 mi north-northwest	5,900 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KTLH Tallahassee, FL	121 mi west-northwest	13,000 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 Lake Butler

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 86 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake Butler, 12 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and February. The strongest was an F3 on February 25, 1960, which touched down about 21 miles northwest of town. The most recent was an EF1 on March 16, 2025, which touched down about 19 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 102 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 11 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 1, 2003.

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 Lake Butler'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.

Lake Butler radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lake Butler, FL?

KJAX (Jacksonville, FL), about 50 miles northeast. KVAX (Moody AFB, GA) is 72 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Lake Butler?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Lake Butler the lowest scan from KJAX is about 3,600 ft up — good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly.

Is TALON's radar for Lake Butler 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 Lake Butler, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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