Norman, OK Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Norman What TALON shows

Which radars cover Norman?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Norman, OK is KTLX (Oklahoma City), about 12 miles to the 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 Norman	View of low-level rotation
KTLX Oklahoma City, OK	12 mi northeast	600 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KFDR Frederick, OK	106 mi southwest	10,400 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KVNX Vance AFB, OK	112 mi north-northwest	11,400 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 Norman'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 Norman

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 317 tornadoes within 25 miles of Norman, 95 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and April. The strongest was an F5 on May 3, 1999, which passed about 11 miles northwest of the city and caused 36 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 6, 2025, which touched down about 8 miles west of the city.

Hail: 1,588 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Norman since 1955, 227 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.00-inch hail (grapefruit size) on May 16, 1960.

Tornadoes since 1950	317
EF2/F2 or stronger	95
Strongest tornado	F5 · May 1999
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	5.00 in · May 1960

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.

Norman radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Norman?

KTLX near Oklahoma City, OK, about 12 miles away. A second radar, KFDR (Frederick), is 106 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Norman?

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 Norman the lowest scan from KTLX is roughly 600 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Norman?

NOAA records show 317 tornadoes within 25 miles of Norman since 1950 — about 4.2 a year on average, most often in May and April. Most were weak, but 95 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 Norman, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.