Otis, KS Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Otis What TALON shows

What weather hits Otis?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 92 days in the Rush forecast zone and Rush County — the most common reported hazard around Otis, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (31 days) and flash flooding (17 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	92	Oct 2025	Jun 21, 1996 · $550,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	31	Jan 2025	—
Flash flooding	17	May 2021	—
High winds	14	Mar 2026	Nov 6, 2008 · $10,000 damage
Flooding	7	May 2021	May 6, 2008 · $12,000 damage
Blizzards	7	Mar 2025	—
Ice storms & sleet	4	Jan 2017	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	3	Feb 2025	—

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

How much snow does Otis get?

A normal year brings about 14 inches of snow to Otis, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Bison 3Nw weather station 10 miles away. The snowiest month is usually March (3.6 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.1	1.0	3.5	3.4	2.4	3.6	0.1	0.0

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

Which radars cover Otis?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDDC (Dodge City, KS), about 73 miles southwest. 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Otis	View
KDDC Dodge City, KS	73 mi southwest	6,000 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KICT Wichita, KS	107 mi southeast	10,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KUEX Hastings, NE	128 mi north-northeast	14,000 ft	Limited — 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 Otis

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 188 tornadoes within 25 miles of Otis, 26 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and July. The strongest was an F4 on April 21, 2001, which passed about 15 miles east of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on September 19, 2023, which touched down about 18 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 857 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 112 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 6.00-inch hail on May 24, 2011.

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 Otis'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.

Otis radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Otis, KS?

KDDC (Dodge City, KS), about 73 miles southwest. KICT (Wichita, KS) is 107 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Otis?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Otis the lowest scan from KDDC is about 6,000 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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