Knoxville, TN Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Knoxville What TALON shows

Which radars cover Knoxville?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Knoxville, TN is KMRX (Knoxville), about 32 miles to the east-northeast. 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 Knoxville	View of low-level rotation
KMRX Knoxville, TN	32 mi east-northeast	2,000 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KJKL Jackson, KY	118 mi north-northeast	12,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGSP Greer, SC	121 mi southeast	12,900 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 Knoxville'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 Knoxville

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 46 tornadoes within 25 miles of Knoxville, 12 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and June. The strongest was an EF4 on April 27, 2011, which passed about 21 miles south-southeast of the city. The most recent was an EF2 on August 7, 2023, which passed about 10 miles west of the city.

Hail: 317 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Knoxville since 1955, 26 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.00-inch hail (softball size) on April 28, 1959.

Tornadoes since 1950	46
EF2/F2 or stronger	12
Strongest tornado	EF4 · Apr 2011
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.00 in · Apr 1959

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.

Knoxville radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Knoxville?

KMRX near Knoxville, TN, about 32 miles away. A second radar, KJKL (Jackson), is 118 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Knoxville?

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 Knoxville the lowest scan from KMRX is roughly 2,000 ft up. Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Knoxville?

NOAA records show 46 tornadoes within 25 miles of Knoxville since 1950 — about one every 2 years on average, most often in April and June. Most were weak, but 12 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 Knoxville, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.