Esmond, ND Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Esmond What TALON shows

What weather hits Esmond?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged dangerous cold on 82 days in the Benson forecast zone and Benson County — the most common reported hazard around Esmond, mostly in January and February. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (74 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (66 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Extreme cold & wind chill	82	Jan 2026	Mar 8, 2003 · $5,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	74	Feb 2026	Nov 6, 2000 · $14,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	66	Jun 2026	Jun 19, 2005 · $6.5 million damage
Blizzards	59	Nov 2024	Apr 5, 1997 · $6.0 million damage
Flooding	44	Jul 2020	Sep 1, 1999 · $25 million damage
High winds	37	Feb 2025	May 21, 2005 · $25,000 damage
Flash flooding	17	Sep 2019	Sep 20, 2019 · $10 million damage
Ice storms & sleet	3	Feb 2009	Apr 4, 1997 · $6.0 million damage

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 Benson forecast zone and Benson County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Esmond?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMBX (Minot AFB, ND), about 56 miles west-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 Esmond	View
KMBX Minot AFB, ND	56 mi west-northwest	4,200 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KBIS Bismarck, ND	99 mi south-southwest	9,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMVX Grand Forks, ND	119 mi east-southeast	12,500 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 Esmond

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 49 tornadoes within 25 miles of Esmond, 6 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F3 on May 30, 1958, which passed about 4 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on May 23, 2020, which touched down about 23 miles north-northeast of town.

Hail: 207 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 23 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.50-inch hail on June 28, 2018.

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 Esmond'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.

Esmond radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Esmond, ND?

KMBX (Minot AFB, ND), about 56 miles west-northwest. KBIS (Bismarck, ND) is 99 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Esmond?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Esmond the lowest scan from KMBX is about 4,200 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All North Dakota towns →