West Bend, IA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for West Bend, Palo Alto County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for West BendWhat TALON shows

What weather hits West Bend?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 54 days in the Palo Alto forecast zone and Palo Alto County — the most common reported hazard around West Bend, mostly in January and December. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (50 days) and high winds (44 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms54Jan 2024Feb 24, 2007 · $250,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds50Jul 2025Dec 15, 2021 · $500,000 damage
High winds44Mar 2025Nov 10, 1998 · $305,000 damage
Flooding43Jul 2024Jun 12, 2010 · $20 million damage
Blizzards34Mar 2025Mar 1, 2007 · $100,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill26Jan 2025Sep 21, 1999 · $294,000 damage
Flash flooding14Jun 2018Jul 26, 1997 · $170,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet12Jan 2023Jan 20, 2010 · $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 Palo Alto forecast zone and Palo Alto County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover West Bend?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDMX (Des Moines, IA), about 93 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 West BendView
KDMX
Des Moines, IA		93 mi south-southeast8,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFSD
Sioux Falls, SD		123 mi west-northwest13,200 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		138 mi north-northeast15,800 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 West Bend

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 107 tornadoes within 25 miles of West Bend, 28 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and April. The strongest was an F4 on June 28, 1979, which passed about 24 miles south-southwest of town and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 26, 2025, which touched down about 20 miles east-southeast of town.

Hail: 309 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 46 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on August 4, 1995.

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 West Bend'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.

West Bend radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to West Bend, IA?

KDMX (Des Moines, IA), about 93 miles south-southeast. KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD) is 123 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in West Bend?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over West Bend the lowest scan from KDMX is about 8,600 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All Iowa towns →