East Chicago, IN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for East ChicagoWhat TALON shows

What weather hits East Chicago?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 124 days in the Lake forecast zone and Lake County — the most common reported hazard around East Chicago, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (57 days) and flooding (51 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds124Jun 2026Jul 15, 2024 · 1 death
Heavy snow & winter storms57Jan 2026Dec 11, 2010 · $10,000 damage
Flooding51Jun 2026Sep 14, 2008 · $15 million damage
Flash flooding35Jun 2026Sep 17, 2023 · $10 million damage
High winds33Apr 2026Mar 8, 2017 · $25,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill16Jan 2026—
Lightning casualties & damage12Jun 2016Sep 19, 2013 · 1 death · $75,000 damage
Excessive heat9Jun 2026—

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

Which radars cover East Chicago?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 33 miles west. 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 East ChicagoView
KLOT
Chicago, IL		33 mi west2,000 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KIWX
Fort Wayne, IN		93 mi east-southeast8,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMKX
Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI		107 mi north-northwest10,700 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 East Chicago

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 114 tornadoes within 25 miles of East Chicago, 25 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F4 on April 21, 1967, which passed about 8 miles northwest of town and caused 33 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on March 19, 2025, which touched down about 21 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 341 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 21 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on June 28, 1993.

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 East Chicago'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.

East Chicago radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to East Chicago, IN?

KLOT (Chicago, IL), about 33 miles west. KIWX (Fort Wayne, IN) is 93 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in East Chicago?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over East Chicago the lowest scan from KLOT is about 2,000 ft up.

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

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