Elwood, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Elwood What TALON shows

What weather hits Elwood?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 199 days in the Southern Will forecast zone and Will County — the most common reported hazard around Elwood, mostly in June and July. Next come flooding (63 days) and flash flooding (46 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	199	Jun 2026	Jun 24, 2013 · $800,000 damage
Flooding	63	Jun 2026	Feb 20, 2018 · 1 death
Flash flooding	46	Aug 2025	Jul 17, 1996 · 2 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage	30	Aug 2025	Jul 28, 2021 · 1 death
Extreme cold & wind chill	8	Jan 2026	—
Excessive heat	8	Jun 2026	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	7	Nov 2025	—
Dust storms	1	May 2025	—

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

How much snow does Elwood get?

A normal year brings about 17 inches of snow to Elwood, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Joliet Brandon Rd Dam weather station 5.9 miles away. The snowiest month is usually February (6.2 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.3	3.2	5.0	6.2	2.1	0.1	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 Elwood?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 13 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 Elwood	View
KLOT Chicago, IL	13 mi north	700 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KILX Lincoln, IL	108 mi southwest	10,900 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMKX Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI	109 mi north-northwest	11,000 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 Elwood

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 175 tornadoes within 25 miles of Elwood, 37 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F5 on August 28, 1990, which passed about 7 miles north of town and caused 29 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on March 19, 2025, which touched down about 6 miles north-northeast of town.

Hail: 414 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 25 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 6.00-inch hail on April 23, 1961.

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 Elwood'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.

Elwood radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Elwood, IL?

KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 13 miles north. KILX (Lincoln, IL) is 108 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Elwood?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Elwood the lowest scan from KLOT is about 700 ft up.

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

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