Lawton, MI Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lawton What TALON shows

What weather hits Lawton?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 126 days in the Van Buren forecast zone and Van Buren County — the most common reported hazard around Lawton, mostly in January and December. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (93 days) and high winds (14 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms	126	Jan 2026	Feb 24, 2016 · $25,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	93	Jun 2026	Jun 13, 2022 · $3.0 million damage
High winds	14	Dec 2024	Mar 8, 2017 · $10 million damage
Flash flooding	7	Aug 2011	May 18, 2000 · $150,000 damage
Blizzards	5	Dec 2022	—
Ice storms & sleet	4	Feb 2023	Feb 22, 2023 · 1 death · $100,000 damage
Flooding	3	Apr 2013	Apr 17, 2013 · $3.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	2	Jul 2011	Sep 19, 1997 · $200,000 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 Van Buren forecast zone and Van Buren County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Lawton?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KGRR (Grand Rapids, MI), about 53 miles north-northeast. 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 Lawton	View
KGRR Grand Rapids, MI	53 mi north-northeast	3,800 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KIWX Fort Wayne, IN	56 mi south	4,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLOT Chicago, IL	122 mi west-southwest	13,000 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 Lawton

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 73 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lawton, 25 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and June. The strongest was an F4 on April 2, 1977, which passed about 17 miles east-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on May 15, 2025, which passed about 24 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 143 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 27, 1991.

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 Lawton'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.

Lawton radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lawton, MI?

KGRR (Grand Rapids, MI), about 53 miles north-northeast. KIWX (Fort Wayne, IN) is 56 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lawton?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lawton the lowest scan from KGRR is about 3,800 ft up.

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

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