Alto, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Alto What TALON shows

What weather hits Alto?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 130 days in the Cherokee forecast zone and Cherokee County — the most common reported hazard around Alto, mostly in May and June. Next come excessive heat (78 days) and flash flooding (42 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	130	May 2026	May 3, 2009 · $100,000 damage
Excessive heat	78	Aug 2025	Jul 4, 2000 · 1 death
Flash flooding	42	Jun 2025	Jul 8, 2007 · $250,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	8	Jan 2026	Feb 16, 2021 · $800,000 damage
Flooding	8	May 2022	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	6	Jan 2026	Jan 7, 2010 · $100,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Dec 2000	—
Lightning casualties & damage	4	Sep 2022	Jul 24, 1996 · $300,000 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 Cherokee forecast zone and Cherokee County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Alto?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 91 miles northeast. 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 Alto	View
KSHV Shreveport, LA	91 mi northeast	8,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KPOE Fort Polk, LA	128 mi east-southeast	14,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KFWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX	145 mi west-northwest	17,300 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 Alto

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 81 tornadoes within 25 miles of Alto, 28 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an F3 on November 15, 1987, which passed about 19 miles northwest of town and caused 4 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on July 8, 2024, which touched down about 2 miles west of town.

Hail: 218 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.00-inch hail on April 6, 2019.

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 Alto'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.

Alto radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Alto, TX?

KSHV (Shreveport, LA), about 91 miles northeast. KPOE (Fort Polk, LA) is 128 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Alto?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Alto the lowest scan from KSHV is about 8,300 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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