Columbia City, OR Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Columbia City, Columbia County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Columbia CityWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Columbia City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 12 days in the Lower Columbia River forecast zone and Columbia County — the most common reported hazard around Columbia City, mostly in December and January. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (1 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Flooding12Jan 2022Dec 9, 2015 · 1 death · $2.3 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms1Feb 2025—

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 Lower Columbia River forecast zone and Columbia County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Columbia City get?

A normal year brings about 3.0 inches of snow to Columbia City, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Merwin Dam weather station 12.5 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (1.6 in).

OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay
0.00.00.31.60.90.20.00.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Columbia City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRTX (Portland, OR), about 15 miles south-southwest. 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Columbia CityView
KRTX
Portland, OR		15 mi south-southwest800 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLGX
Langley Hill, WA		104 mi northwest10,200 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KATX
Seattle/Tacoma, WA		159 mi north20,000 ftLimited — 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 Columbia City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 26 tornadoes within 25 miles of Columbia City, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in October and September. The strongest was an F3 on April 5, 1972, which passed about 22 miles south-southeast of town and caused 6 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on October 28, 2024, which touched down about 18 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 7 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.50-inch hail on July 31, 1991.

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 Columbia City'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.

Columbia City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Columbia City, OR?

KRTX (Portland, OR), about 15 miles south-southwest. KLGX (Langley Hill, WA) is 104 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Columbia City flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 12 days in the Lower Columbia River forecast zone and Columbia County; the deadliest was on December 9, 2015, with 1 death. 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 Columbia City 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 Columbia City, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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