La Luz, NM Live Doppler Radar
Live radar for La Luz, Otero County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.
What weather hits La Luz?
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 66 days in the East Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo forecast zone and Otero County — the most common reported hazard around La Luz, mostly in July and August. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (59 days) and high winds (6 days).
| Hazard | Days reported | Most recent | Worst on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash flooding | 66 | Jul 2025 | Jun 22, 2006 · $1.3 million damage |
| Damaging thunderstorm winds | 59 | Jun 2026 | May 28, 2008 · $370,000 damage |
| High winds | 6 | Apr 2026 | — |
| Dust storms | 2 | Jul 2025 | — |
| Heavy snow & winter storms | 1 | Jan 2026 | — |
| Flooding | 1 | Jul 2009 | Jul 5, 2009 · $25,000 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 East Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo forecast zone and Otero County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.
How much snow does La Luz get?
A normal year brings about 2.4 inches of snow to La Luz, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Alamogordo weather station 3.8 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (1.0 in).
| Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 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 La Luz?
The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KHDX (Holloman AFB, NM), about 13 miles 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 La Luz | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| KHDX Holloman AFB, NM | 13 mi northwest | 700 ft | Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground |
| KEPZ El Paso, TX | 88 mi south-southwest | 7,900 ft | Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation |
| KABX Albuquerque, NM | 159 mi north-northwest | 19,900 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 La Luz
Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 10 tornadoes within 25 miles of La Luz, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and August. The strongest was an F2 on May 27, 1982, which touched down about 5 miles south-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 13, 2020, which touched down about 10 miles south of town.
Hail: 57 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 5 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 24, 1999.
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 La Luz'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.
La Luz radar FAQ
Where is the nearest weather radar to La Luz, NM?
KHDX (Holloman AFB, NM), about 13 miles northwest. KEPZ (El Paso, TX) is 88 miles away and also covers the area.
How often does La Luz flood?
Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 66 days in the East Central Tularosa Basin/Alamogordo forecast zone and Otero County. TALON's free flash-flood risk layer shows, every 2 minutes, how close the rain that has fallen is to what it takes to flood — turn it on under Layers.
Is TALON's radar for La Luz 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 La Luz, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.
Radar for nearby towns
- Alamogordo, NM radar 6 mi
- Tularosa, NM radar 8 mi
- Ruidoso, NM radar 30 mi
- Ruidoso Downs, NM radar 32 mi
- Capitan, NM radar 44 mi