Kansas City, MO Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Kansas City What TALON shows

Which radars cover Kansas City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Kansas City, MO is KEAX (Kansas City), about 26 miles to the southeast. 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 Kansas City	View of low-level rotation
KEAX Kansas City, MO	26 mi southeast	1,600 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KTWX Topeka, KS	89 mi west	8,100 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KSGF Springfield, MO	144 mi south-southeast	17,000 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 Kansas City'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 Kansas City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 153 tornadoes within 25 miles of Kansas City, 43 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an F5 on May 20, 1957, which passed about 12 miles south-southeast of the city and caused 44 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 3, 2025, which touched down about 6 miles southeast of the city.

Hail: 1,486 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Kansas City since 1955, 155 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on September 18, 2010.

Tornadoes since 1950	153
EF2/F2 or stronger	43
Strongest tornado	F5 · May 1957
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	5.50 in · Sep 2010

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.

Kansas City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Kansas City?

KEAX near Kansas City, MO, about 26 miles away. A second radar, KTWX (Topeka), is 89 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Kansas City?

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 Kansas City the lowest scan from KEAX is roughly 1,600 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 Kansas City?

NOAA records show 153 tornadoes within 25 miles of Kansas City since 1950 — about 2.0 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 43 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 Kansas City, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.