McKinney, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for McKinney What TALON shows

Which radars cover McKinney?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to McKinney, TX is KFWS (Dallas/Fort Worth), about 58 miles to the southwest. 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 McKinney	View of low-level rotation
KFWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX	58 mi southwest	4,300 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KTLX Oklahoma City, OK	152 mi north-northwest	18,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KFDR Frederick, OK	156 mi west-northwest	19,500 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 McKinney'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 McKinney

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 144 tornadoes within 25 miles of McKinney, 41 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and May. The strongest was an EF4 on December 26, 2015, which passed about 18 miles south-southeast of the city and caused 10 deaths. The most recent was a tornado of unknown strength on August 28, 2025, which touched down about 19 miles west of the city.

Hail: 968 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of McKinney since 1955, 162 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 5.25-inch hail (grapefruit size) on April 11, 2016.

Tornadoes since 1950	144
EF2/F2 or stronger	41
Strongest tornado	EF4 · Dec 2015
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	5.25 in · Apr 2016

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.

McKinney radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to McKinney?

KFWS near Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, about 58 miles away. A second radar, KTLX (Oklahoma City), is 152 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over McKinney?

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 McKinney the lowest scan from KFWS is roughly 4,300 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 McKinney?

NOAA records show 144 tornadoes within 25 miles of McKinney since 1950 — about 1.9 a year on average, most often in April and May. Most were weak, but 41 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 McKinney, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.