Oklahoma City, OK Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Oklahoma City What TALON shows

Which radars cover Oklahoma City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Oklahoma City, OK is KTLX (Oklahoma City), about 16 miles to the southeast. 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 Oklahoma City	View of low-level rotation
KTLX Oklahoma City, OK	16 mi southeast	900 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KVNX Vance AFB, OK	94 mi north-northwest	8,800 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KFDR Frederick, OK	113 mi southwest	11,500 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 Oklahoma City'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 Oklahoma City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 345 tornadoes within 25 miles of Oklahoma City, 98 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 4 miles southeast of the city and caused 36 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on July 12, 2025, which touched down about 13 miles north-northeast of the city.

Hail: 1,828 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Oklahoma City since 1955, 263 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.00-inch hail (grapefruit size) on May 29, 2012.

Tornadoes since 1950	345
EF2/F2 or stronger	98
Strongest tornado	F5 · May 1999
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	5.00 in · May 2012

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.

Oklahoma City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Oklahoma City?

KTLX near Oklahoma City, OK, about 16 miles away. A second radar, KVNX (Vance AFB), is 94 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Oklahoma City?

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 Oklahoma City the lowest scan from KTLX is roughly 900 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 Oklahoma City?

NOAA records show 345 tornadoes within 25 miles of Oklahoma City since 1950 — about 4.5 a year on average, most often in May and April. Most were weak, but 98 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 Oklahoma City, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.