Pitkin, LA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Pitkin What TALON shows

What weather hits Pitkin?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 98 days in the Vernon forecast zone and Vernon County — the most common reported hazard around Pitkin, mostly in June and April. Next come flash flooding (27 days) and flooding (8 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	98	Feb 2026	Mar 10, 2000 · $2.0 million damage
Flash flooding	27	May 2026	Mar 20, 2012 · $1.5 million damage
Flooding	8	Mar 2016	Mar 10, 2016 · $50 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	7	Jan 2025	Jan 1, 2001 · $5,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms	6	Oct 2020	Aug 26, 2020 · 1 death · $900 million damage
Excessive heat	4	Sep 2023	—
Ice storms & sleet	3	Feb 2021	Feb 1, 1996 · $200,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	May 2025	May 6, 2025 · $50,000 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 Vernon forecast zone and Vernon County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Pitkin?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 15 miles north. 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 Pitkin	View
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	15 mi north	800 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLCH Lake Charles, LA	59 mi south-southwest	4,400 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KSHV Shreveport, LA	118 mi north-northwest	12,300 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 Pitkin

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 103 tornadoes within 25 miles of Pitkin, 20 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in December and October. The strongest was an F4 on December 3, 1953, which passed about 12 miles northwest of town and caused 9 deaths. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on March 4, 2025, which touched down about 16 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 113 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 8 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.50-inch hail on December 23, 2014.

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 Pitkin'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.

Pitkin radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Pitkin, LA?

KPOE (Fort Polk, LA), about 15 miles north. KLCH (Lake Charles, LA) is 59 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Pitkin?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Pitkin the lowest scan from KPOE is about 800 ft up.

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

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