Jal, NM Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Jal What TALON shows

What weather hits Jal?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 133 days in the Southern Lea County forecast zone and Lea County — the most common reported hazard around Jal, mostly in June and May. Next come flash flooding (72 days) and high winds (16 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	133	Jun 2026	May 31, 2024 · $2.0 million damage
Flash flooding	72	Jun 2026	Aug 1, 2002 · $125,000 damage
High winds	16	Apr 2025	Dec 8, 2009 · $12,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	5	Jan 2021	—
Flooding	5	Jul 2025	Aug 9, 2009 · $4,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	May 2013	Aug 8, 1996 · 2 deaths
Dust storms	2	Mar 2025	—
Ice storms & sleet	2	Dec 2014	—

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

How much snow does Jal get?

A normal year brings about 1.9 inches of snow to Jal, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Jal weather station in town. The snowiest month is usually January (0.7 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.1	0.2	0.5	0.7	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0

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

Which radars cover Jal?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMAF (Midland/Odessa, TX), about 60 miles east. 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 Jal	View
KMAF Midland/Odessa, TX	60 mi east	4,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLBB Lubbock, TX	133 mi northeast	15,000 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KSJT San Angelo, TX	167 mi east-southeast	21,600 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 Jal

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 32 tornadoes within 25 miles of Jal, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and June. The strongest was an F2 on May 30, 1955, which touched down about 21 miles south-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF1 on September 17, 2016, which passed about 23 miles east of town.

Hail: 142 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 5.00-inch hail on May 31, 1960.

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 Jal'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.

Jal radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Jal, NM?

KMAF (Midland/Odessa, TX), about 60 miles east. KLBB (Lubbock, TX) is 133 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Jal?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Jal the lowest scan from KMAF is about 4,500 ft up.

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

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