Chester, MT Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chester What TALON shows

What weather hits Chester?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 65 days in the Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone and Liberty County — the most common reported hazard around Chester, mostly in January and October. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (36 days) and extreme cold & wind chill (11 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
High winds	65	Jun 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	36	May 2026	Aug 7, 1999 · $2,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	11	Jan 2026	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	9	Dec 2025	—
Flooding	2	Apr 2023	Apr 7, 2023 · $50,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	1	Apr 2003	—

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 Eastern Toole and Liberty forecast zone and Liberty County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Chester get?

A normal year brings about 37 inches of snow to Chester, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Chester weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually January (8.3 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.7	5.6	6.3	8.3	5.7	5.1	3.7	0.4

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

Which radars cover Chester?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 75 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 Chester	View
KTFX Great Falls, MT	75 mi south-southwest	6,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMSX Missoula, MT	173 mi southwest	23,000 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGGW Glasgow, MT	200 mi east	29,300 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 Chester

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 4 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chester. Most came in May and June. The strongest was an F1 on May 25, 1980, which touched down about 3 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an F0 on June 2, 1999, which touched down about 17 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 45 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 3 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.50-inch hail on July 6, 2022.

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 Chester'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.

Chester radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chester, MT?

KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 75 miles south-southwest. KMSX (Missoula, MT) is 173 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Chester?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Chester the lowest scan from KTFX is about 6,300 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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