Columbus, OH Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Columbus What TALON shows

Which radars cover Columbus?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Columbus, OH is KILN (Wilmington), about 58 miles to the southwest. 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 Columbus	View of low-level rotation
KILN Wilmington, OH	58 mi southwest	4,300 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KCLE Cleveland, OH	117 mi north-northeast	12,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KRLX Charleston, WV	133 mi south-southeast	15,000 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 Columbus'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 Columbus

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 92 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbus, 20 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and June. The strongest was an F3 on May 31, 1985, which passed about 21 miles northeast of the city and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on March 30, 2025, which touched down about 6 miles south-southeast of the city.

Hail: 259 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Columbus since 1955, 13 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on August 10, 1984.

Tornadoes since 1950	92
EF2/F2 or stronger	20
Strongest tornado	F3 · May 1985
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	3.00 in · Aug 1984

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.

Columbus radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Columbus?

KILN near Wilmington, OH, about 58 miles away. A second radar, KCLE (Cleveland), is 117 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Columbus?

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 Columbus the lowest scan from KILN is roughly 4,300 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 Columbus?

NOAA records show 92 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbus since 1950 — about 1.2 a year on average, most often in April and June. Most were weak, but 20 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 Columbus, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.