Indianapolis, IN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Indianapolis What TALON shows

Which radars cover Indianapolis?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Indianapolis, IN is KIND (Indianapolis), about 8 miles to the west-southwest. 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 Indianapolis	View of low-level rotation
KIND Indianapolis, IN	8 mi west-southwest	400 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KIWX Fort Wayne, IN	112 mi north-northeast	11,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KLVX Louisville, KY	124 mi south	13,500 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 Indianapolis'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 Indianapolis

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 144 tornadoes within 25 miles of Indianapolis, 52 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in June and May. The strongest was an F4 on May 14, 1972, which passed about 4 miles east of the city. The most recent was an EF2 on April 2, 2025, which passed about 10 miles northwest of the city.

Hail: 597 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Indianapolis since 1955, 46 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.40-inch hail (teacup size) on June 18, 2021.

Tornadoes since 1950	144
EF2/F2 or stronger	52
Strongest tornado	F4 · May 1972
Busiest tornado month	June
Largest hail	3.40 in · Jun 2021

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.

Indianapolis radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Indianapolis?

KIND near Indianapolis, IN, about 8 miles away. A second radar, KIWX (Fort Wayne), is 112 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Indianapolis?

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 Indianapolis the lowest scan from KIND is roughly 400 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 Indianapolis?

NOAA records show 144 tornadoes within 25 miles of Indianapolis since 1950 — about 1.9 a year on average, most often in June and May. Most were weak, but 52 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 Indianapolis, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.