St. Joseph, IA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for St. JosephWhat TALON shows

What weather hits St. Joseph?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 84 days in the Kossuth forecast zone and Kossuth County — the most common reported hazard around St. Joseph, mostly in June and July. Next come flooding (61 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (61 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds84Jul 2025May 15, 1998 · $550,000 damage
Flooding61Jul 2024Jun 12, 2010 · $40 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms61Jan 2024Feb 24, 2007 · $250,000 damage
High winds49Mar 2025Nov 10, 1998 · $305,000 damage
Blizzards39Mar 2025Jan 25, 2010 · 1 death · $75,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill27Jan 2025Sep 21, 1999 · $294,000 damage
Flash flooding18Jun 2024Jul 9, 2000 · $800,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet14Jan 2023Feb 20, 2011 · $50,000 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 Kossuth forecast zone and Kossuth County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover St. Joseph?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDMX (Des Moines, IA), about 86 miles south-southeast. 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 St. JosephView
KDMX
Des Moines, IA		86 mi south-southeast7,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFSD
Sioux Falls, SD		134 mi west-northwest15,200 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		138 mi north-northeast15,900 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 St. Joseph

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 108 tornadoes within 25 miles of St. Joseph, 26 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F4 on August 29, 1964, which crossed near town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 26, 2025, which touched down about 8 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 311 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 39 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 5.50-inch hail on August 26, 2004.

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 St. Joseph'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.

St. Joseph radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to St. Joseph, IA?

KDMX (Des Moines, IA), about 86 miles south-southeast. KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD) is 134 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in St. Joseph?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over St. Joseph the lowest scan from KDMX is about 7,600 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All Iowa towns →