Chester, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chester What TALON shows

What weather hits Chester?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 89 days in the Randolph forecast zone and Randolph County — the most common reported hazard around Chester, mostly in May and June. Next come excessive heat (52 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (35 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	89	Mar 2026	May 19, 2022 · $200,000 damage
Excessive heat	52	Jul 2025	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	35	Jan 2025	—
Flash flooding	19	Apr 2025	Apr 4, 2025 · $30,000 damage
Flooding	11	Jan 2016	Jun 4, 2008 · $16,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	5	Feb 2022	—
High winds	3	Mar 2001	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	3	Jan 2014	—

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

How much snow does Chester get?

A normal year brings about 12 inches of snow to Chester, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Chester weather station 1.7 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (3.7 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.1	0.5	2.9	3.7	3.7	1.1	0.0	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 Chester?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLSX (St. Louis, MO), about 71 miles northwest. 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 Chester	View
KLSX St. Louis, MO	71 mi northwest	5,800 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KPAH Paducah, KY	83 mi southeast	7,200 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KVWX Evansville, IN	117 mi east-northeast	12,200 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 Chester

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chester, 31 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an F4 on December 18, 1957, which passed about 25 miles southeast of town and caused 11 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 19, 2025, which touched down about 17 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 198 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 14 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on March 20, 1976.

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 Chester'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.

Chester radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chester, IL?

KLSX (St. Louis, MO), about 71 miles northwest. KPAH (Paducah, KY) is 83 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Chester?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Chester the lowest scan from KLSX is about 5,800 ft up.

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

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