Peoria, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Peoria What TALON shows

Which radars cover Peoria?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Peoria, IL is KILX (Lincoln), about 40 miles to the south-southeast. 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 Peoria	View of low-level rotation
KILX Lincoln, IL	40 mi south-southeast	2,600 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KDVN Quad Cities, IA	82 mi northwest	7,100 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KLOT Chicago, IL	100 mi northeast	9,700 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 Peoria'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 Peoria

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 159 tornadoes within 25 miles of Peoria, 38 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an EF4 on November 17, 2013, which passed about 5 miles southeast of the city and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on December 28, 2025, which touched down about 10 miles south-southeast of the city.

Hail: 381 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Peoria since 1955, 35 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.00-inch hail (softball size) on May 30, 2004.

Tornadoes since 1950	159
EF2/F2 or stronger	38
Strongest tornado	EF4 · Nov 2013
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	4.00 in · May 2004

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.

Peoria radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Peoria?

KILX near Lincoln, IL, about 40 miles away. A second radar, KDVN (Quad Cities), is 82 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Peoria?

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 Peoria the lowest scan from KILX is roughly 2,600 ft up. Good — low-level rotation is usually visible. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Peoria?

NOAA records show 159 tornadoes within 25 miles of Peoria since 1950 — about 2.1 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 38 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 Peoria, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.