Lincoln, NE Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Lincoln in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Lincoln What TALON shows

Which radars cover Lincoln?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Lincoln, NE is KOAX (Omaha), about 39 miles to the north-northeast. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Lincoln	View of low-level rotation
KOAX Omaha, NE	39 mi north-northeast	2,600 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KUEX Hastings, NE	97 mi west-southwest	9,200 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KTWX Topeka, KS	128 mi south-southeast	14,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Lincoln's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Lincoln

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 143 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lincoln, 39 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an F4 on May 22, 2004, which passed about 14 miles south-southeast of the city and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on April 17, 2025, which touched down about 18 miles east-northeast of the city.

Hail: 613 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Lincoln since 1955, 78 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.00-inch hail (grapefruit size) on May 9, 2016.

Tornadoes since 1950	143
EF2/F2 or stronger	39
Strongest tornado	F4 · May 2004
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	5.00 in · May 2016

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Lincoln radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lincoln?

KOAX near Omaha, NE, about 39 miles away. A second radar, KUEX (Hastings), is 97 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Lincoln?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Lincoln the lowest scan from KOAX is roughly 2,600 ft up. Good — low-level rotation is usually visible. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Lincoln?

NOAA records show 143 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lincoln since 1950 — about 1.9 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 39 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Lincoln, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.