Clifton, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Clifton What TALON shows

What weather hits Clifton?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 109 days in the Iroquois forecast zone and Iroquois County — the most common reported hazard around Clifton, mostly in June and July. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (32 days) and flash flooding (23 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	109	Jun 2026	Jul 27, 2006 · $712,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	32	Nov 2025	—
Flash flooding	23	Aug 2023	Feb 4, 2008 · $1.0 million damage
Flooding	21	Feb 2023	Jan 8, 2008 · $3.0 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	19	Jan 2026	Jan 21, 2011 · 1 death
High winds	14	Jan 2026	—
Excessive heat	9	Jun 2026	—
Ice storms & sleet	4	Jan 2021	—

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

How much snow does Clifton get?

A normal year brings about 24 inches of snow to Clifton, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the St Anne weather station 12.9 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (7.4 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.8	4.9	7.4	7.3	3.2	0.4	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 Clifton?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 47 miles north. 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 Clifton	View
KLOT Chicago, IL	47 mi north	3,300 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KILX Lincoln, IL	91 mi southwest	8,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KIWX Fort Wayne, IN	120 mi east-northeast	12,700 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 Clifton

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 115 tornadoes within 25 miles of Clifton, 23 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and April. The strongest was an F4 on April 17, 1963, which passed about 16 miles north of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on December 28, 2025, which touched down about 4 miles west of town.

Hail: 149 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 16 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on June 8, 1981.

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 Clifton'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.

Clifton radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Clifton, IL?

KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 47 miles north. KILX (Lincoln, IL) is 91 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Clifton?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Clifton the lowest scan from KLOT is about 3,300 ft up.

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

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