Athens, LA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Athens What TALON shows

What weather hits Athens?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 109 days in the Claiborne forecast zone and Claiborne County — the most common reported hazard around Athens, mostly in June and May. Next come excessive heat (86 days) and flash flooding (20 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	109	Jun 2026	Dec 30, 2002 · 1 death
Excessive heat	86	Aug 2025	Aug 15, 2010 · 1 death
Flash flooding	20	Jun 2026	Oct 30, 2009 · $250,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	10	Jan 2026	—
Ice storms & sleet	7	Dec 2000	—
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Sep 2019	Nov 8, 2011 · $75,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	6	Jan 2026	Jan 7, 2010 · $150,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	4	Aug 2020	Sep 13, 2008 · $150,000 damage

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

Which radars cover Athens?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 49 miles west-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 Athens	View
KSHV Shreveport, LA	49 mi west-southwest	3,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	104 mi south	10,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KLZK Little Rock, AR	157 mi north-northeast	19,500 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 Athens

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 125 tornadoes within 25 miles of Athens, 29 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and November. The strongest was an F3 on February 12, 1950, which passed about 7 miles south of town and caused 5 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 4, 2025, which touched down about 7 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 328 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 27 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on April 24, 2010.

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 Athens'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.

Athens radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Athens, LA?

KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 49 miles west-southwest. KPOE (Fort Polk, LA) is 104 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Athens?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Athens the lowest scan from KSHV is about 3,500 ft up.

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

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