Hutchinson, KS Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Hutchinson What TALON shows

Which radars cover Hutchinson?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Hutchinson, KS is KICT (Wichita), about 39 miles to the 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 Hutchinson	View of low-level rotation
KICT Wichita, KS	39 mi southeast	2,500 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KVNX Vance AFB, OK	92 mi south	8,400 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KTWX Topeka, KS	112 mi northeast	11,500 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 Hutchinson'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 Hutchinson

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 131 tornadoes within 25 miles of Hutchinson, 23 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an F5 on March 13, 1990, which passed about 13 miles southeast of the city and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF3 on May 18, 2025, which passed about 20 miles west of the city.

Hail: 729 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Hutchinson since 1955, 99 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on June 13, 2000.

Tornadoes since 1950	131
EF2/F2 or stronger	23
Strongest tornado	F5 · Mar 1990
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	4.50 in · Jun 2000

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.

Hutchinson radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Hutchinson?

KICT near Wichita, KS, about 39 miles away. A second radar, KVNX (Vance AFB), is 92 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Hutchinson?

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 Hutchinson the lowest scan from KICT is roughly 2,500 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 Hutchinson?

NOAA records show 131 tornadoes within 25 miles of Hutchinson since 1950 — about 1.7 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 23 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 Hutchinson, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.