Karlstad, MN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Karlstad What TALON shows

What weather hits Karlstad?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged blizzard conditions on 79 days in the Kittson forecast zone and Kittson County — the most common reported hazard around Karlstad, mostly in January and December. Next come extreme cold & wind chill (72 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (64 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Blizzards	79	Jan 2026	Apr 5, 1997 · $5.0 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	72	Jan 2026	Mar 8, 2003 · $21,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	64	Mar 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	57	Jun 2024	Jul 20, 2011 · $800,000 damage
Flooding	33	May 2023	Apr 21, 1997 · $5.0 million damage
High winds	21	May 2026	Sep 19, 2017 · $5,000 damage
Flash flooding	14	Jul 2020	Jul 4, 2020 · $550,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Feb 2009	Apr 4, 1997 · $2.0 million 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 Kittson forecast zone and Kittson County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Karlstad?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMVX (Grand Forks, ND), about 82 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Karlstad	View
KMVX Grand Forks, ND	82 mi south-southwest	7,100 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMBX Minot AFB, ND	200 mi west	29,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KABR Aberdeen, SD	234 mi south-southwest	38,000 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 Karlstad

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 53 tornadoes within 25 miles of Karlstad, 2 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F2 on June 27, 1997, which passed about 20 miles east-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 19, 2022, which touched down about 23 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 155 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 17 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on June 8, 2020.

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 Karlstad'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.

Karlstad radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Karlstad, MN?

KMVX (Grand Forks, ND), about 82 miles south-southwest. KMBX (Minot AFB, ND) is 200 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Karlstad?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Karlstad the lowest scan from KMVX is about 7,100 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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