Estherville, IA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for EsthervilleWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Estherville?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 71 days in the Emmet forecast zone and Emmet County — the most common reported hazard around Estherville, mostly in May and April. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (64 days) and high winds (55 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding71Jul 2024Jun 12, 2010 · $20 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds64Jul 2025Jul 18, 1998 · $225,000 damage
High winds55Feb 2026Nov 10, 1998 · $305,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms52Jan 2024Feb 24, 2007 · $250,000 damage
Blizzards36Mar 2025Mar 1, 2007 · $100,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill28Jan 2025Jan 18, 2001 · 1 death
Ice storms & sleet13Jan 2023Nov 14, 1996 · $150,000 damage
Flash flooding12Jul 2016Jun 19, 2014 · $505,000 damage

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

Which radars cover Estherville?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD), about 96 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 EsthervilleView
KFSD
Sioux Falls, SD		96 mi west9,000 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		118 mi north-northeast12,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDMX
Des Moines, IA		128 mi south-southeast14,200 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 Estherville

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 98 tornadoes within 25 miles of Estherville, 22 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and May. The strongest was an F3 on March 21, 1953, which passed about 14 miles southeast of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on August 29, 2024, which touched down about 14 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 344 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 37 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on June 29, 1993.

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 Estherville'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.

Estherville radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Estherville, IA?

KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD), about 96 miles west. KMPX (Minneapolis, MN) is 118 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Estherville?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Estherville the lowest scan from KFSD is about 9,000 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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