Minneapolis, MN Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Minneapolis in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Minneapolis What TALON shows

Which radars cover Minneapolis?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Minneapolis, MN is KMPX (Minneapolis), about 17 miles to the west-southwest. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Minneapolis	View of low-level rotation
KMPX Minneapolis, MN	17 mi west-southwest	900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KARX La Crosse, WI	130 mi southeast	14,400 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDLH Duluth, MN	138 mi north-northeast	15,900 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Minneapolis's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Minneapolis

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Minneapolis, 22 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in July and May. The strongest was an F4 on May 6, 1965, which passed about 4 miles northwest of the city and caused 6 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on June 28, 2025, which passed about 23 miles west-southwest of the city.

Hail: 1,000 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Minneapolis since 1955, 116 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.00-inch hail (softball size) on July 8, 1966.

Tornadoes since 1950	102
EF2/F2 or stronger	22
Strongest tornado	F4 · May 1965
Busiest tornado month	July
Largest hail	4.00 in · Jul 1966

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Minneapolis radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Minneapolis?

KMPX near Minneapolis, MN, about 17 miles away. A second radar, KARX (La Crosse), is 130 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Minneapolis?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Minneapolis the lowest scan from KMPX is roughly 900 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Minneapolis?

NOAA records show 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Minneapolis since 1950 — about 1.3 a year on average, most often in July and May. Most were weak, but 22 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Minneapolis, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.