Joplin, MT Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Joplin What TALON shows

What weather hits Joplin?

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 Joplin, 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 Joplin get?

A normal year brings about 35 inches of snow to Joplin, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Joplin weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually January (8.0 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
2.4	5.3	6.2	8.0	5.4	4.4	3.0	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 Joplin?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 81 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 Joplin	View
KTFX Great Falls, MT	81 mi south-southwest	7,000 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMSX Missoula, MT	182 mi southwest	25,000 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGGW Glasgow, MT	192 mi east	27,300 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 Joplin

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Joplin. Most came in May and June. The strongest was an F1 on May 25, 1980, which touched down about 10 miles west of town. The most recent was an F0 on June 2, 1999, which touched down about 24 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 47 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 3 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on August 10, 1957.

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 Joplin'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.

Joplin radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Joplin, MT?

KTFX (Great Falls, MT), about 81 miles south-southwest. KMSX (Missoula, MT) is 182 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Joplin?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Joplin the lowest scan from KTFX is about 7,000 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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