Columbia, LA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Columbia What TALON shows

What weather hits Columbia?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged dangerous heat on 86 days in the Caldwell forecast zone and Caldwell County — the most common reported hazard around Columbia, mostly in July and August. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (64 days) and flash flooding (12 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Excessive heat	86	Aug 2025	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	64	Apr 2026	May 28, 2017 · 1 death
Flash flooding	12	Oct 2020	Mar 8, 2016 · $4.0 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	7	Jan 2026	Jan 7, 2010 · $100,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	6	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	5	Oct 2020	Sep 13, 2008 · $100,000 damage
Flooding	4	Jun 2019	Oct 31, 2009 · $3.0 million damage
Ice storms & sleet	3	Dec 1998	—

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

Which radars cover Columbia?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 84 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 Columbia	View
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	84 mi southwest	7,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KSHV Shreveport, LA	106 mi west-northwest	10,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDGX Jackson, MS	123 mi east	13,200 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 Columbia

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 77 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbia, 25 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F4 on December 3, 1953, which passed about 24 miles southwest of town and caused 9 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 4, 2025, which touched down about 10 miles south of town.

Hail: 205 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 10 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on April 9, 2021.

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 Columbia'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.

Columbia radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Columbia, LA?

KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 84 miles southwest. KSHV (Shreveport, LA) is 106 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Columbia?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Columbia the lowest scan from KPOE is about 7,400 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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