Cedar Rapids, IA Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Cedar Rapids in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Cedar Rapids What TALON shows

Which radars cover Cedar Rapids?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Cedar Rapids, IA is KDVN (Quad Cities), about 61 miles to the east-southeast. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Cedar Rapids	View of low-level rotation
KDVN Quad Cities, IA	61 mi east-southeast	4,700 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KDMX Des Moines, IA	107 mi west	10,700 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KARX La Crosse, WI	130 mi north	14,400 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Cedar Rapids's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Cedar Rapids

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 153 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids, 33 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an F4 on April 30, 1954, which passed about 9 miles north-northwest of the city. The most recent was an EF1 on July 11, 2025, which passed about 24 miles west of the city.

Hail: 514 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids since 1955, 42 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on August 8, 1988.

Tornadoes since 1950	153
EF2/F2 or stronger	33
Strongest tornado	F4 · Apr 1954
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	3.00 in · Aug 1988

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Cedar Rapids radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Cedar Rapids?

KDVN near Quad Cities, IA, about 61 miles away. A second radar, KDMX (Des Moines), is 107 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Cedar Rapids?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Cedar Rapids the lowest scan from KDVN is roughly 4,700 ft up. Good — low-level rotation is usually visible. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Cedar Rapids?

NOAA records show 153 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cedar Rapids since 1950 — about 2.0 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 33 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Cedar Rapids, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.