Rainier, OR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Rainier What TALON shows

What weather hits Rainier?

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 Rainier, mostly in December and January. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (1 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	12	Jan 2022	Dec 9, 2015 · 1 death · $2.3 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	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 Lower Columbia River forecast zone and Columbia County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Rainier get?

A normal year brings about 2.3 inches of snow to Rainier, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Clatskanie weather station 12.9 miles away. The snowiest month is usually December (0.8 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.1	0.8	0.5	0.7	0.2	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 Rainier?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRTX (Portland, OR), about 25 miles south. 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 Rainier	View
KRTX Portland, OR	25 mi south	1,400 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KLGX Langley Hill, WA	91 mi northwest	8,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KATX Seattle/Tacoma, WA	148 mi north	17,800 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 Rainier

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 13 tornadoes within 25 miles of Rainier. Most came in October and November. The strongest was an F1 on June 29, 1989, which touched down about 19 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on October 28, 2024, which touched down about 4 miles north-northwest of town.

Hail: 2 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on May 4, 2017.

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 Rainier'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.

Rainier radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Rainier, OR?

KRTX (Portland, OR), about 25 miles south. KLGX (Langley Hill, WA) is 91 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Rainier 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 Rainier 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 Rainier, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

Radar for nearby towns

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