Columbia, MO Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Columbia What TALON shows

Which radars cover Columbia?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Columbia, MO is KLSX (St. Louis), about 91 miles to the east. 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 Columbia	View of low-level rotation
KLSX St. Louis, MO	91 mi east	8,300 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KEAX Kansas City, MO	104 mi west	10,200 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KSGF Springfield, MO	132 mi south-southwest	14,800 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 Columbia'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 Columbia

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 79 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbia, 15 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and July. The strongest was an F3 on November 10, 1998, which touched down near the city center. The most recent was an EF2 on April 20, 2025, which touched down about 17 miles southeast of the city.

Hail: 453 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Columbia since 1955, 40 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.25-inch hail (softball size) on June 17, 2009.

Tornadoes since 1950	79
EF2/F2 or stronger	15
Strongest tornado	F3 · Nov 1998
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.25 in · Jun 2009

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.

Columbia radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Columbia?

KLSX near St. Louis, MO, about 91 miles away. A second radar, KEAX (Kansas City), is 104 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Columbia?

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 Columbia the lowest scan from KLSX is roughly 8,300 ft up. Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Columbia?

NOAA records show 79 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbia since 1950 — about 1.0 a year on average, most often in April and July. Most were weak, but 15 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 Columbia, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.