Alcester, SD Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Alcester What TALON shows

What weather hits Alcester?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 90 days in the Union forecast zone and Union County — the most common reported hazard around Alcester, mostly in May and June. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (73 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (43 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	90	Jul 2024	Jun 21, 2024 · $55 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	73	Jul 2025	Aug 2, 2001 · $200,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	43	Jan 2024	Apr 6, 2003 · $10,000 damage
High winds	42	Mar 2026	Apr 7, 2001 · $20,000 damage
Excessive heat	28	Jun 2026	—
Blizzards	26	Mar 2026	Jan 14, 2021 · 1 death
Extreme cold & wind chill	25	Dec 2025	—
Flash flooding	18	Jul 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 Union forecast zone and Union County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Alcester get?

A normal year brings about 31 inches of snow to Alcester, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Hawarden weather station 7.4 miles away. The snowiest month is usually December (7.3 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.1	3.1	7.3	6.8	6.4	4.4	2.3	0.2

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

Which radars cover Alcester?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD), about 39 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 Alcester	View
KFSD Sioux Falls, SD	39 mi north	2,600 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KOAX Omaha, NE	119 mi south	12,500 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDMX Des Moines, IA	173 mi east-southeast	23,000 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 Alcester

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 143 tornadoes within 25 miles of Alcester, 29 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and May. The strongest was an F3 on June 14, 1967, which passed about 13 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on July 28, 2025, which passed about 14 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 402 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 37 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on June 13, 1981.

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 Alcester'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.

Alcester radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Alcester, SD?

KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD), about 39 miles north. KOAX (Omaha, NE) is 119 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Alcester?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Alcester the lowest scan from KFSD is about 2,600 ft up.

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

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