Ortley, SD Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Ortley What TALON shows

What weather hits Ortley?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged high winds on 90 days in the Roberts forecast zone and Roberts County — the most common reported hazard around Ortley, mostly in November and March. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (78 days) and blizzards (70 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
High winds	90	May 2026	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	78	Apr 2026	—
Blizzards	70	Dec 2025	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	65	Jun 2026	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	51	Jan 2026	Dec 8, 1996 · 1 death
Flooding	31	Jun 2025	Jun 1, 2019 · $12 million damage
Flash flooding	12	Aug 2025	Jun 11, 2008 · $150,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	6	Dec 2023	Dec 25, 2016 · $1.2 million damage

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 Roberts forecast zone and Roberts County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Ortley get?

A normal year brings about 59 inches of snow to Ortley, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Summit 1 W weather station 7.2 miles away. The snowiest month is usually February (12.4 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
2.0	5.4	11.9	10.2	12.4	8.8	7.8	0.1

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

Which radars cover Ortley?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KABR (Aberdeen, SD), about 59 miles west. 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 Ortley	View
KABR Aberdeen, SD	59 mi west	4,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KFSD Sioux Falls, SD	123 mi south	13,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMVX Grand Forks, ND	152 mi north	18,500 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 Ortley

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 60 tornadoes within 25 miles of Ortley, 3 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and July. The strongest was an F2 on July 8, 1951, which touched down about 18 miles east of town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 6, 2023, which touched down about 18 miles south-southeast of town.

Hail: 209 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 17 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on July 1, 1969.

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 Ortley'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.

Ortley radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ortley, SD?

KABR (Aberdeen, SD), about 59 miles west. KFSD (Sioux Falls, SD) is 123 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ortley?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ortley the lowest scan from KABR is about 4,500 ft up.

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

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