Onawa, IA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Onawa What TALON shows

What weather hits Onawa?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 62 days in the Monona forecast zone and Monona County — the most common reported hazard around Onawa, mostly in July and August. Next come extreme cold & wind chill (54 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (41 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	62	May 2026	May 5, 2007 · $40,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	54	Jan 2026	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	41	Nov 2025	—
High winds	26	Mar 2026	—
Blizzards	15	Mar 2025	—
Excessive heat	15	Jun 2026	—
Flooding	11	Jun 2024	Jul 16, 1996 · $29 million damage
Flash flooding	9	Jun 2024	May 5, 2007 · $1.4 million 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 Monona forecast zone and Monona County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Onawa get?

A normal year brings about 31 inches of snow to Onawa, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Onawa 3Nw weather station 3.5 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (7.9 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.3	2.8	7.1	7.9	6.6	4.5	1.8	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Onawa?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KOAX (Omaha, NE), about 51 miles south-southwest. 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 Onawa	View
KOAX Omaha, NE	51 mi south-southwest	3,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KFSD Sioux Falls, SD	113 mi north-northwest	11,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDMX Des Moines, IA	124 mi east	13,300 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 Onawa

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 82 tornadoes within 25 miles of Onawa, 19 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and May. The strongest was an F4 on July 28, 1986, which passed about 11 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 12, 2024, which touched down about 8 miles west of town.

Hail: 294 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 32 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on July 16, 1965.

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 Onawa'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.

Onawa radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Onawa, IA?

KOAX (Omaha, NE), about 51 miles south-southwest. KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD) is 113 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Onawa?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Onawa the lowest scan from KOAX is about 3,600 ft up.

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

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