Ball, LA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Ball What TALON shows

What weather hits Ball?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 157 days in the Rapides forecast zone and Rapides County — the most common reported hazard around Ball, mostly in June and April. Next come flash flooding (46 days) and lightning casualties & damage (10 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	157	Jun 2026	Apr 10, 2024 · 1 death · $15,000 damage
Flash flooding	46	Jun 2026	Aug 13, 2016 · 1 death · $500,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	10	Aug 2025	Jul 10, 2016 · 1 death
Hurricanes & tropical storms	9	Oct 2020	Aug 26, 2020 · 3 deaths · $500 million damage
Flooding	7	Mar 2016	Jan 10, 2013 · $33 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	6	Jan 2025	Jan 1, 2001 · $50,000 damage
Excessive heat	5	Sep 2023	Jun 21, 2010 · 1 death
Ice storms & sleet	4	Feb 2021	Feb 3, 2011 · $1.0 million 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 Rapides forecast zone and Rapides County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Ball?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 38 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 Ball	View
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	38 mi west-southwest	2,500 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLCH Lake Charles, LA	101 mi south-southwest	9,800 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KSHV Shreveport, LA	110 mi northwest	11,200 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 Ball

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Ball, 29 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and December. The strongest was an F4 on December 3, 1953, which passed about 14 miles northwest of town and caused 9 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on May 26, 2025, which passed about 8 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 154 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 15 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.50-inch hail on June 20, 2023.

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 Ball'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.

Ball radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ball, LA?

KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 38 miles west-southwest. KLCH (Lake Charles, LA) is 101 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ball?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ball the lowest scan from KPOE is about 2,500 ft up.

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

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