Sisters, OR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Sisters What TALON shows

What weather hits Sisters?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 65 days in the East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades forecast zone and Deschutes County — the most common reported hazard around Sisters, mostly in December and February. Next come wildfires (24 days) and lightning casualties & damage (18 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms	65	Apr 2026	—
Wildfires	24	Oct 2020	Aug 1, 2013 · 1 death
Lightning casualties & damage	18	Aug 2019	Jun 29, 1997 · $1.5 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	18	Aug 2025	Jul 29, 1998 · $200,000 damage
High winds	17	Nov 2022	Nov 19, 2012 · $120,000 damage
Flash flooding	8	May 2015	Jul 17, 2000 · $10,000 damage
Flooding	6	Jun 2021	Jul 1, 2019 · $6,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	3	Dec 2013	—

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 East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades forecast zone and Deschutes County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Sisters?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRTX (Portland, OR), about 120 miles northwest. 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 Sisters	View
KRTX Portland, OR	120 mi northwest	12,700 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KPDT Pendleton, OR	164 mi northeast	20,900 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMAX Medford, OR	164 mi south-southwest	20,900 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 Sisters

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sisters. Most came in June and August. The strongest was an F1 on August 22, 1989, which touched down about 24 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 28, 2025, which touched down about 18 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 73 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 6 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on May 30, 2020.

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 Sisters'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.

Sisters radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Sisters, OR?

KRTX (Portland, OR), about 120 miles northwest. KPDT (Pendleton, OR) is 164 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Sisters?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Sisters the lowest scan from KRTX is about 12,700 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

Is TALON's radar for Sisters 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 Sisters, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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