Independence, OR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Independence What TALON shows

What weather hits Independence?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 26 days in the West Central Willamette Valley forecast zone and Polk County — the most common reported hazard around Independence, mostly in December and January. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (3 days) and ice storms & sleet (1 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	26	Feb 2025	Jan 18, 2012 · $3.0 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	3	Jan 2021	—
Ice storms & sleet	1	Feb 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 West Central Willamette Valley forecast zone and Polk County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Independence get?

A normal year brings about 9.6 inches of snow to Independence, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Falls City 2 Ssw weather station 12.6 miles away. The snowiest month is usually December (3.6 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.5	3.6	2.6	1.8	1.1	0.0	0.0

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

Which radars cover Independence?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRTX (Portland, OR), about 60 miles north. 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Independence	View
KRTX Portland, OR	60 mi north	4,600 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLGX Langley Hill, WA	162 mi north-northwest	20,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMAX Medford, OR	193 mi south	27,600 ft	Limited — 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 Independence

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 17 tornadoes within 25 miles of Independence, 1 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and June. The strongest was an EF2 on December 14, 2010, which passed about 16 miles east of town. The most recent was an EF0 on October 29, 2018, which touched down about 14 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 1 report of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on April 29, 2003.

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 Independence'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.

Independence radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Independence, OR?

KRTX (Portland, OR), about 60 miles north. KLGX (Langley Hill, WA) is 162 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Independence flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 26 days in the West Central Willamette Valley forecast zone and Polk County. 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 Independence 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 Independence, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

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