Carter, MT Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Carter What TALON shows

What weather hits Carter?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 81 days in the Western and Central Chouteau County forecast zone and Chouteau County — the most common reported hazard around Carter, mostly in July and June. Next come high winds (28 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (8 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	81	May 2026	Jul 13, 2000 · $2,000 damage
High winds	28	May 2026	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	8	Dec 2025	—
Flooding	7	May 2024	May 7, 2024 · $194,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	4	Feb 2025	—
Flash flooding	2	Jul 2011	—
Ice storms & sleet	1	Jan 2023	—
Wildfires	1	Mar 2026	—

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 Western and Central Chouteau County forecast zone and Chouteau County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Carter get?

A normal year brings about 38 inches of snow to Carter, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Ft Benton weather station 13.1 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (7.9 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
1.9	5.7	7.9	7.9	6.9	4.3	3.0	0.3

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

Which radars cover Carter?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 30 miles 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 Carter	View
KTFX Great Falls, MT	30 mi southwest	1,900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMSX Missoula, MT	152 mi west-southwest	18,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KBLX Billings, MT	173 mi southeast	22,800 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 Carter

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 12 tornadoes within 25 miles of Carter. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F1 on July 10, 1965, which touched down about 6 miles east-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 23, 2018, which touched down about 12 miles south-southeast of town.

Hail: 115 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 12 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on June 4, 2012.

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 Carter'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.

Carter radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Carter, MT?

KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 30 miles southwest. KMSX (Missoula, MT) is 152 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Carter?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Carter the lowest scan from KTFX is about 1,900 ft up.

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

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