Chattanooga, TN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chattanooga What TALON shows

Which radars cover Chattanooga?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Chattanooga, TN is KHTX (Huntsville), about 45 miles to the west. 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 Chattanooga	View of low-level rotation
KHTX Huntsville, AL	45 mi west	3,000 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KOHX Nashville, TN	109 mi northwest	10,900 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KFFC Atlanta, GA	124 mi south-southeast	13,400 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 Chattanooga'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 Chattanooga

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 93 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chattanooga, 28 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and March. The strongest was an EF4 on April 27, 2011, which passed about 14 miles southeast of the city and caused 20 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 25, 2023, which passed about 24 miles southwest of the city.

Hail: 247 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Chattanooga since 1955, 11 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 3.00-inch hail (teacup size) on June 7, 1985.

Tornadoes since 1950	93
EF2/F2 or stronger	28
Strongest tornado	EF4 · Apr 2011
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	3.00 in · Jun 1985

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.

Chattanooga radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chattanooga?

KHTX near Huntsville, AL, about 45 miles away. A second radar, KOHX (Nashville), is 109 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Chattanooga?

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 Chattanooga the lowest scan from KHTX is roughly 3,000 ft up. Good — low-level rotation is usually visible. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Chattanooga?

NOAA records show 93 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chattanooga since 1950 — about 1.2 a year on average, most often in April and March. Most were weak, but 28 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 Chattanooga, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.