Elbow Lake, MN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Elbow LakeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Elbow Lake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 68 days in the Grant forecast zone and Grant County — the most common reported hazard around Elbow Lake, mostly in December and March. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (61 days) and blizzards (57 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms68Apr 2025—
Damaging thunderstorm winds61Jun 2026May 30, 2022 · $500,000 damage
Blizzards57Jan 2026—
Extreme cold & wind chill52Jan 2026Mar 8, 2003 · $17,000 damage
High winds21Mar 2026Jun 11, 2008 · $100,000 damage
Flooding10Mar 2019Apr 9, 1997 · $3.0 million damage
Flash flooding7May 2011—
Lightning casualties & damage4Sep 2007Jun 18, 1998 · $75,000 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 Grant forecast zone and Grant County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Elbow Lake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KABR (Aberdeen, SD), about 123 miles west-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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Elbow LakeView
KABR
Aberdeen, SD		123 mi west-southwest13,200 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMVX
Grand Forks, ND		124 mi north-northwest13,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		141 mi east-southeast16,500 ftLimited — 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 Elbow Lake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 77 tornadoes within 25 miles of Elbow Lake, 11 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an EF4 on July 8, 2020, which passed about 7 miles north-northeast of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on August 21, 2025, which touched down about 14 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 221 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 28 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.75-inch hail on July 2, 2003.

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 Elbow Lake'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.

Elbow Lake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Elbow Lake, MN?

KABR (Aberdeen, SD), about 123 miles west-southwest. KMVX (Grand Forks, ND) is 124 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Elbow Lake?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Elbow Lake the lowest scan from KABR is about 13,200 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All Minnesota towns →