Rocklake, ND Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Rocklake What TALON shows

What weather hits Rocklake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged dangerous cold on 81 days in the Towner forecast zone and Towner County — the most common reported hazard around Rocklake, mostly in January and February. Next come blizzards (62 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (62 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Extreme cold & wind chill	81	Jan 2026	Mar 8, 2003 · $5,000 damage
Blizzards	62	Dec 2025	Apr 5, 1997 · $6.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	62	Feb 2026	Nov 6, 2000 · $14,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	32	Jun 2023	Jun 28, 1996 · $500,000 damage
High winds	28	Feb 2025	Oct 31, 1999 · $4,000 damage
Flooding	14	Apr 2017	Apr 1, 2006 · $294,000 damage
Flash flooding	8	Aug 2016	Aug 3, 2016 · $115,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	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 Towner forecast zone and Towner County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Rocklake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMBX (Minot AFB, ND), about 79 miles west-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 Rocklake	View
KMBX Minot AFB, ND	79 mi west-southwest	6,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KMVX Grand Forks, ND	124 mi southeast	13,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KBIS Bismarck, ND	156 mi south-southwest	19,400 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 Rocklake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 44 tornadoes within 25 miles of Rocklake, 4 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an EF3 on July 7, 2008, which passed about 10 miles west-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 7, 2025, which touched down about 17 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 151 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 19 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 27, 2006.

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 Rocklake'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.

Rocklake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Rocklake, ND?

KMBX (Minot AFB, ND), about 79 miles west-southwest. KMVX (Grand Forks, ND) is 124 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Rocklake?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Rocklake the lowest scan from KMBX is about 6,700 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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