Lake City, FL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lake City What TALON shows

What weather hits Lake City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 141 days in the Southeastern Columbia forecast zone and Columbia County — the most common reported hazard around Lake City, mostly in June and August. Next come lightning casualties & damage (10 days) and wildfires (8 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	141	Aug 2025	Jan 22, 2017 · 1 death
Lightning casualties & damage	10	May 2022	Jun 16, 2003 · 1 death
Wildfires	8	Mar 2026	—
Flash flooding	8	Sep 2017	Sep 7, 2014 · $200,000 damage
Flooding	8	Aug 2022	Jun 25, 2012 · $100,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	2	Sep 2024	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	1	Jan 2025	—

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

Which radars cover Lake City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KVAX (Moody AFB, GA), about 53 miles north-northwest. 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 City	View
KVAX Moody AFB, GA	53 mi north-northwest	3,800 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KJAX Jacksonville, FL	60 mi east-northeast	4,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KTLH Tallahassee, FL	102 mi west	9,900 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 Lake City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 68 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake City, 8 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in July and May. The strongest was an F3 on February 25, 1960, which touched down near town. The most recent was an EF1 on March 16, 2025, which touched down about 11 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 66 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 10 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on March 25, 2005.

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 City'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 City radar FAQ

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

KVAX (Moody AFB, GA), about 53 miles north-northwest. KJAX (Jacksonville, FL) is 60 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Lake City?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Lake City the lowest scan from KVAX is about 3,800 ft up — good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly.

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

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