Elbow Lake, MN Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Elbow Lake, Becker 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 92 days in the East Becker forecast zone and Becker County — the most common reported hazard around Elbow Lake, mostly in December and March. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (84 days) and extreme cold & wind chill (53 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms92Apr 2026—
Damaging thunderstorm winds84Jun 2026Jul 11, 2017 · $800,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill53Jan 2026Mar 8, 2003 · $21,000 damage
Blizzards15Mar 2025—
Flash flooding13May 2022Jul 4, 2010 · $300,000 damage
High winds12Oct 2024—
Flooding10May 2012Apr 1, 2006 · $146,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage6Sep 2008Jun 28, 1997 · $30,000 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 East Becker forecast zone and Becker County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Elbow Lake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMVX (Grand Forks, ND), about 87 miles west-northwest. 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
KMVX
Grand Forks, ND		87 mi west-northwest7,900 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDLH
Duluth, MN		159 mi east19,900 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KABR
Aberdeen, SD		180 mi southwest24,500 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 46 tornadoes within 25 miles of Elbow Lake, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an EF2 on June 24, 2022, which passed about 21 miles south-southwest of town. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on June 24, 2023, which touched down about 24 miles west of town.

Hail: 190 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 16 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on August 14, 2000.

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?

KMVX (Grand Forks, ND), about 87 miles west-northwest. KDLH (Duluth, MN) is 159 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 KMVX is about 7,900 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.

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