Cincinnati, OH Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Cincinnati What TALON shows

Which radars cover Cincinnati?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Cincinnati, OH is KILN (Wilmington), about 43 miles to the east-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 Cincinnati	View of low-level rotation
KILN Wilmington, OH	43 mi east-northeast	2,900 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KIND Indianapolis, IN	103 mi west-northwest	10,100 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KLVX Louisville, KY	110 mi southwest	11,100 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground

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 Cincinnati'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 Cincinnati

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 88 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cincinnati, 25 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and June. The strongest was an F5 on April 3, 1974, which passed about 10 miles northwest of the city and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on April 2, 2025, which passed about 23 miles northeast of the city.

Hail: 353 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Cincinnati since 1955, 22 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on May 2, 1983.

Tornadoes since 1950	88
EF2/F2 or stronger	25
Strongest tornado	F5 · Apr 1974
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	3.00 in · May 1983

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.

Cincinnati radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Cincinnati?

KILN near Wilmington, OH, about 43 miles away. A second radar, KIND (Indianapolis), is 103 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Cincinnati?

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 Cincinnati the lowest scan from KILN is roughly 2,900 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 Cincinnati?

NOAA records show 88 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cincinnati since 1950 — about 1.2 a year on average, most often in April and June. Most were weak, but 25 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 Cincinnati, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.