Lubbock, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lubbock What TALON shows

Which radars cover Lubbock?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Lubbock, TX is KLBB (Lubbock), about 6 miles to the north-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 Lubbock	View of low-level rotation
KLBB Lubbock, TX	6 mi north-northeast	300 ft	Very close — directly overhead the radar can't see (the "cone of silence"), so a second radar helps
KMAF Midland/Odessa, TX	115 mi south	11,800 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KAMA Amarillo, TX	115 mi north	11,900 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 Lubbock'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 Lubbock

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 179 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lubbock, 25 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and June. The strongest was an F5 on May 11, 1970, which crossed near the city center and caused 26 deaths. The most recent was an EF2 on June 5, 2025, which passed about 23 miles west-northwest of the city.

Hail: 755 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Lubbock since 1955, 139 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.00-inch hail (grapefruit size) on June 5, 2025.

Tornadoes since 1950	179
EF2/F2 or stronger	25
Strongest tornado	F5 · May 1970
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	5.00 in · Jun 2025

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.

Lubbock radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lubbock?

KLBB near Lubbock, TX, about 6 miles away. A second radar, KMAF (Midland/Odessa), is 115 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Lubbock?

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 Lubbock the lowest scan from KLBB is roughly 300 ft up. Very close — directly overhead the radar can't see (the "cone of silence"), so a second radar helps. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Lubbock?

NOAA records show 179 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lubbock since 1950 — about 2.4 a year on average, most often in May and June. Most were weak, but 25 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 Lubbock, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.