Abilene, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Abilene What TALON shows

Which radars cover Abilene?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Abilene, TX is KDYX (Dyess AFB), about 29 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 Abilene	View of low-level rotation
KDYX Dyess AFB, TX	29 mi east-northeast	1,700 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan is close to the ground, where tornadoes form
KSJT San Angelo, TX	87 mi south-southwest	7,800 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KFDR Frederick, OK	139 mi north-northeast	16,100 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 Abilene'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 Abilene

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 145 tornadoes within 25 miles of Abilene, 29 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and April. The strongest was an F4 on April 28, 1950, which touched down about 14 miles east of the city and caused 5 deaths. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on May 18, 2025, which touched down about 14 miles southeast of the city.

Hail: 712 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Abilene since 1955, 128 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on June 12, 2014.

Tornadoes since 1950	145
EF2/F2 or stronger	29
Strongest tornado	F4 · Apr 1950
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	4.50 in · Jun 2014

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.

Abilene radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Abilene?

KDYX near Dyess AFB, TX, about 29 miles away. A second radar, KSJT (San Angelo), is 87 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Abilene?

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 Abilene the lowest scan from KDYX is roughly 1,700 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 Abilene?

NOAA records show 145 tornadoes within 25 miles of Abilene since 1950 — about 1.9 a year on average, most often in May and April. 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 Abilene, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.