Chicago, IL Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Chicago in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Chicago What TALON shows

Which radars cover Chicago?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Chicago, IL is KLOT (Chicago), about 30 miles to the southwest. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Chicago	View of low-level rotation
KLOT Chicago, IL	30 mi southwest	1,800 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KMKX Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI	89 mi north-northwest	8,000 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KIWX Fort Wayne, IN	106 mi east-southeast	10,500 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Chicago's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Chicago

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 101 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chicago, 21 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in July and June. The strongest was an F4 on April 21, 1967, which passed about 11 miles south-southeast of the city and caused 33 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on March 19, 2025, which touched down about 25 miles south-southeast of the city.

Hail: 476 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Chicago since 1955, 28 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on June 28, 1993.

Tornadoes since 1950	101
EF2/F2 or stronger	21
Strongest tornado	F4 · Apr 1967
Busiest tornado month	July
Largest hail	3.00 in · Jun 1993

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Chicago radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chicago?

KLOT near Chicago, IL, about 30 miles away. A second radar, KMKX (Milwaukee/Sullivan), is 89 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Chicago?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Chicago the lowest scan from KLOT is roughly 1,800 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Chicago?

NOAA records show 101 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chicago since 1950 — about 1.3 a year on average, most often in July and June. Most were weak, but 21 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Chicago, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.