Piper City, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Piper CityWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Piper City?

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 Piper City, mostly in June and May. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (30 days) and flooding (19 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds72Jun 2026Jun 21, 2010 · $750,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms30Dec 2025—
Flooding19Apr 2026Jan 8, 2008 · $500,000 damage
Flash flooding17Aug 2023Aug 12, 2021 · $12 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill16Jan 2026—
High winds15May 2025Mar 4, 2025 · $1,000 damage
Excessive heat9Jun 2026—
Blizzards2Feb 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 Piper City get?

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

OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay
0.01.36.28.64.43.30.90.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Piper City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 59 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Piper CityView
KLOT
Chicago, IL		59 mi north4,400 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KILX
Lincoln, IL		73 mi southwest6,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KIND
Indianapolis, IN		124 mi southeast13,400 ftLimited — 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 Piper City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 113 tornadoes within 25 miles of Piper City, 20 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and April. The strongest was an F3 on April 7, 1954, which passed about 14 miles northwest of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on December 28, 2025, which touched down about 23 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 135 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 17 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 15, 2025.

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 Piper City'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.

Piper City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Piper City, IL?

KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 59 miles north. KILX (Lincoln, IL) is 73 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Piper City?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Piper City the lowest scan from KLOT is about 4,400 ft up.

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

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