Kempton, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Kempton What TALON shows

What weather hits Kempton?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 72 days in the Ford forecast zone and Ford County — the most common reported hazard around Kempton, mostly in June and May. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (30 days) and flooding (19 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	72	Jun 2026	Jun 21, 2010 · $750,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	30	Dec 2025	—
Flooding	19	Apr 2026	Jan 8, 2008 · $500,000 damage
Flash flooding	17	Aug 2023	Aug 12, 2021 · $12 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	16	Jan 2026	—
High winds	15	May 2025	Mar 4, 2025 · $1,000 damage
Excessive heat	9	Jun 2026	—
Blizzards	2	Feb 2011	—

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

How much snow does Kempton get?

A normal year brings about 25 inches of snow to Kempton, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Piper City weather station 12.6 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (8.6 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	1.3	6.2	8.6	4.4	3.3	0.9	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 Kempton?

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 Kempton	View
KLOT Chicago, IL	47 mi north	3,300 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KILX Lincoln, IL	79 mi southwest	6,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDVN Quad Cities, IA	130 mi west-northwest	14,500 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 Kempton

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 101 tornadoes within 25 miles of Kempton, 23 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and May. The strongest was an F4 on April 17, 1963, which passed about 18 miles north-northeast of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF1 on December 28, 2025, which touched down about 21 miles west of town.

Hail: 172 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 19 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 Kempton'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.

Kempton radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Kempton, IL?

KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 47 miles north. KILX (Lincoln, IL) is 79 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Kempton?

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

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

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