Springfield, IL Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Springfield What TALON shows

Which radars cover Springfield?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Springfield, IL is KILX (Lincoln), about 30 miles to the north-northeast. 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 Springfield	View of low-level rotation
KILX Lincoln, IL	30 mi north-northeast	1,900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KLSX St. Louis, MO	93 mi southwest	8,600 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KDVN Quad Cities, IA	136 mi north-northwest	15,400 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

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 Springfield'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 Springfield

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 167 tornadoes within 25 miles of Springfield, 37 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in June and May. The strongest was an F4 on June 14, 1957, which crossed near the city center and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on June 18, 2025, which passed about 19 miles west-northwest of the city.

Hail: 316 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Springfield since 1955, 27 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.25-inch hail (teacup size) on May 7, 2023.

Tornadoes since 1950	167
EF2/F2 or stronger	37
Strongest tornado	F4 · Jun 1957
Busiest tornado month	June
Largest hail	3.25 in · May 2023

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.

Springfield radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Springfield?

KILX near Lincoln, IL, about 30 miles away. A second radar, KLSX (St. Louis), is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Springfield?

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 Springfield the lowest scan from KILX is roughly 1,900 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Springfield?

NOAA records show 167 tornadoes within 25 miles of Springfield since 1950 — about 2.2 a year on average, most often in June and May. Most were weak, but 37 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 Springfield, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.