Mackinaw City, MI Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Mackinaw City What TALON shows

What weather hits Mackinaw City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 123 days in the Emmet forecast zone and Emmet County — the most common reported hazard around Mackinaw City, mostly in December and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (29 days) and high winds (15 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms	123	Mar 2026	Mar 2, 2012 · $200,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	29	Aug 2021	Jul 18, 2020 · $135,000 damage
High winds	15	Dec 2021	Sep 4, 2014 · $65,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	8	Feb 2026	—
Ice storms & sleet	6	Mar 2026	—
Blizzards	6	Dec 2022	—
Flooding	3	Sep 2022	Apr 13, 2020 · $150,000 damage
Excessive heat	2	Jun 2018	—

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

How much snow does Mackinaw City get?

A normal year brings about 81 inches of snow to Mackinaw City, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Moran weather station 14.8 miles away. The snowiest month is usually December (21.3 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.4	7.4	21.3	20.4	14.8	9.8	6.8	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Mackinaw City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KAPX (Gaylord, MI), about 61 miles south. 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 Mackinaw City	View
KAPX Gaylord, MI	61 mi south	4,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMQT Marquette, MI	143 mi west-northwest	16,900 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGRB Green Bay, WI	186 mi west-southwest	25,900 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 Mackinaw City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Mackinaw City. Most came in July and June. The strongest was an F1 on July 5, 1993, which touched down about 10 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 8 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on June 21, 2025.

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 Mackinaw City'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.

Mackinaw City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Mackinaw City, MI?

KAPX (Gaylord, MI), about 61 miles south. KMQT (Marquette, MI) is 143 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Mackinaw City?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Mackinaw City the lowest scan from KAPX is about 4,600 ft up.

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

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