Sioux Falls, SD Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Sioux Falls in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Sioux Falls What TALON shows

Which radars cover Sioux Falls?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Sioux Falls, SD is KFSD (Sioux Falls), about 3 miles to the north. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Sioux Falls	View of low-level rotation
KFSD Sioux Falls, SD	3 mi north	100 ft	Very close — directly overhead the radar can't see (the "cone of silence"), so a second radar helps
KOAX Omaha, NE	155 mi south	19,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KABR Aberdeen, SD	156 mi north-northwest	19,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Sioux Falls's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Sioux Falls

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 135 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sioux Falls, 29 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in June and May. The strongest was an F4 on June 7, 1993, which passed about 15 miles northwest of the city. The most recent was an EF0 on July 28, 2025, which passed about 23 miles south-southwest of the city.

Hail: 495 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Sioux Falls since 1955, 47 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.00-inch hail (grapefruit size) on July 14, 1970.

Tornadoes since 1950	135
EF2/F2 or stronger	29
Strongest tornado	F4 · Jun 1993
Busiest tornado month	June
Largest hail	5.00 in · Jul 1970

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Sioux Falls radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Sioux Falls?

KFSD near Sioux Falls, SD, about 3 miles away. A second radar, KOAX (Omaha), is 155 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Sioux Falls?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Sioux Falls the lowest scan from KFSD is roughly 100 ft up. Very close — directly overhead the radar can't see (the "cone of silence"), so a second radar helps. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Sioux Falls?

NOAA records show 135 tornadoes within 25 miles of Sioux Falls since 1950 — about 1.8 a year on average, most often in June and May. Most were weak, but 29 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Sioux Falls, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.