Fort Smith, MT Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Fort Smith, Big Horn County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Fort Smith What TALON shows

What weather hits Fort Smith?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 86 days in the Bighorn Canyon forecast zone and Big Horn County — the most common reported hazard around Fort Smith, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (18 days) and flooding (11 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	86	Jun 2026	Jul 16, 2008 · 2 deaths
Heavy snow & winter storms	18	Apr 2026	—
Flooding	11	May 2019	May 21, 2011 · $4.0 million damage
Flash flooding	8	Jun 2023	May 24, 2011 · 1 death
High winds	7	Mar 2026	—
Lightning casualties & damage	1	Jul 1999	Jul 17, 1999 · 1 death
Wildfires	1	May 2001	—

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 Bighorn Canyon forecast zone and Big Horn County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Fort Smith get?

A normal year brings about 44 inches of snow to Fort Smith, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Yellowtail Dam weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually January (8.8 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
3.0	5.8	7.3	8.8	7.4	8.4	3.0	0.2

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

Which radars cover Fort Smith?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBLX (Billings, MT), about 49 miles northwest. 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 Fort Smith	View
KBLX Billings, MT	49 mi northwest	3,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KRIW Riverton, WY	158 mi south	19,700 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGGW Glasgow, MT	209 mi north-northeast	31,500 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 Fort Smith

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 2 tornadoes within 25 miles of Fort Smith. The strongest was an F0 on July 26, 2003, which touched down about 21 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 26 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on June 3, 1996.

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 Fort Smith'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.

Fort Smith radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Fort Smith, MT?

KBLX (Billings, MT), about 49 miles northwest. KRIW (Riverton, WY) is 158 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Fort Smith?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Fort Smith the lowest scan from KBLX is about 3,500 ft up.

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

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