Central, LA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Central, East Baton Rouge County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Central What TALON shows

What weather hits Central?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 117 days in the East Baton Rouge forecast zone and East Baton Rouge County — the most common reported hazard around Central, mostly in June and April. Next come flash flooding (57 days) and lightning casualties & damage (51 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	117	Apr 2026	Mar 26, 2009 · $4.5 million damage
Flash flooding	57	Jun 2026	Aug 12, 2016 · 1 death · $722 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	51	Jul 2025	Jul 14, 2016 · 1 death
Excessive heat	25	Jul 2025	Jul 30, 2024 · 1 death
Hurricanes & tropical storms	11	Sep 2024	Aug 28, 2005 · 4 deaths · $17 million damage
Flooding	9	Sep 2018	Aug 13, 2016 · 4 deaths · $1.7 billion damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	7	Jan 2025	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	4	Jan 2026	—

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 East Baton Rouge forecast zone and East Baton Rouge County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Central?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHDC (Hammond, LA), about 38 miles east. 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 Central	View
KHDC Hammond, LA	38 mi east	2,400 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLIX New Orleans, LA	74 mi east-southeast	6,100 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	122 mi west-northwest	13,100 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 Central

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 126 tornadoes within 25 miles of Central, 20 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and April. The strongest was an F3 on February 6, 1953, which passed about 21 miles east-southeast of town and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on March 31, 2025, which passed about 22 miles east of town.

Hail: 220 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 14 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.75-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 Central'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.

Central radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Central, LA?

KHDC (Hammond, LA), about 38 miles east. KLIX (New Orleans, LA) is 74 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Central?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Central the lowest scan from KHDC is about 2,400 ft up.

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

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