Crystal City, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Crystal City What TALON shows

What weather hits Crystal City?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 43 days in the Zavala forecast zone and Zavala County — the most common reported hazard around Crystal City, mostly in July and June. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (21 days) and flooding (4 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flash flooding	43	Sep 2017	Jun 14, 1999 · $40,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	21	May 2026	Mar 19, 2002 · $150,000 damage
Flooding	4	Nov 2001	Oct 28, 1996 · $20 million damage
Excessive heat	3	Aug 2023	—
Heavy snow & winter storms	2	Feb 2021	—
Extreme cold & wind chill	2	Dec 2022	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	1	Jul 2003	Jul 15, 2003 · $150,000 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 Zavala forecast zone and Zavala County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Crystal City?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KDFX (Laughlin AFB, TX), about 49 miles northwest. 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 Crystal City	View
KDFX Laughlin AFB, TX	49 mi northwest	3,400 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEWX San Antonio, TX	129 mi east-northeast	14,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KCRP Corpus Christi, TX	154 mi east-southeast	19,000 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 Crystal City

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 11 tornadoes within 25 miles of Crystal City, 3 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and March. The strongest was an F2 on May 23, 1966, which crossed near town. The most recent was an EF0 on April 24, 2015, which touched down about 3 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 92 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 16, 1987.

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 Crystal City'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.

Crystal City radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Crystal City, TX?

KDFX (Laughlin AFB, TX), about 49 miles northwest. KEWX (San Antonio, TX) is 129 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Crystal City flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 43 days in the Zavala forecast zone and Zavala County. TALON's free flash-flood risk layer shows, every 2 minutes, how close the rain that has fallen is to what it takes to flood — turn it on under Layers.

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

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