Ely, MN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for ElyWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Ely?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 155 days in the North St. Louis forecast zone and St. Louis County — the most common reported hazard around Ely, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (79 days) and extreme cold & wind chill (53 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds155Jun 2026Jul 19, 2021 · 1 death
Heavy snow & winter storms79Apr 2026—
Extreme cold & wind chill53Jan 2026—
Flash flooding27Jul 2025Jul 6, 1996 · $300,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage25Jul 2025Aug 18, 2012 · 1 death
Flooding11Jun 2024Jul 1, 2022 · $1.4 million damage
Ice storms & sleet6Dec 2004—

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 North St. Louis forecast zone and St. Louis County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Ely get?

A normal year brings about 65 inches of snow to Ely, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Ely weather station 1.3 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (13.8 in).

OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay
2.19.813.213.89.38.47.70.3

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

Which radars cover Ely?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDLH (Duluth, MN), about 76 miles south-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 ElyView
KDLH
Duluth, MN		76 mi south-southwest6,400 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMQT
Marquette, MI		223 mi east-southeast35,200 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		226 mi south-southwest36,100 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 Ely

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 9 tornadoes within 25 miles of Ely, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and July. The strongest was an F3 on August 6, 1969, which passed about 14 miles west-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 7, 2024, which touched down about 20 miles west of town.

Hail: 32 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 4 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on July 16, 2006.

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 Ely'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.

Ely radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ely, MN?

KDLH (Duluth, MN), about 76 miles south-southwest. KMQT (Marquette, MI) is 223 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ely?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ely the lowest scan from KDLH is about 6,400 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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