Austin, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Austin What TALON shows

Which radars cover Austin?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Austin, TX is KGRK (Central Texas), about 38 miles to the 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 Austin	View of low-level rotation
KGRK Central Texas, TX	38 mi northeast	2,500 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KEWX San Antonio, TX	43 mi south-southwest	2,900 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KFWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX	161 mi north	20,500 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 Austin'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 Austin

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 120 tornadoes within 25 miles of Austin, 22 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and March. The strongest was an F4 on May 27, 1997, which passed about 15 miles west-northwest of the city and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF1 on April 28, 2024, which passed about 11 miles east-northeast of the city.

Hail: 649 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Austin since 1955, 118 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on March 16, 2000.

Tornadoes since 1950	120
EF2/F2 or stronger	22
Strongest tornado	F4 · May 1997
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	4.50 in · Mar 2000

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.

Austin radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Austin?

KGRK near Central Texas, TX, about 38 miles away. A second radar, KEWX (San Antonio), is 43 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Austin?

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 Austin the lowest scan from KGRK is roughly 2,500 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 Austin?

NOAA records show 120 tornadoes within 25 miles of Austin since 1950 — about 1.6 a year on average, most often in May and March. Most were weak, but 22 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 Austin, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.