Santa Cruz, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Santa CruzWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Santa Cruz?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged dangerous heat on 53 days in the Starr forecast zone and Starr County — the most common reported hazard around Santa Cruz, mostly in June and August. Next come flash flooding (38 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (32 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Excessive heat53Jun 2026—
Flash flooding38Jun 2026Jul 24, 2008 · $50 million damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds32Mar 2026Mar 7, 2026 · $250,000 damage
Wildfires15Feb 2024Feb 4, 2024 · $150,000 damage
Flooding9Nov 2023Jul 8, 2010 · $38 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill7Jan 2026Feb 3, 1996 · $1.2 million damage
High winds2Mar 2008—
Hurricanes & tropical storms2Jul 2020Jul 25, 2020 · $33 million 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 Starr forecast zone and Starr County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Santa Cruz?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBRO (Brownsville, TX), about 89 miles east-southeast. 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Santa CruzView
KBRO
Brownsville, TX		89 mi east-southeast8,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KCRP
Corpus Christi, TX		125 mi northeast13,700 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KDFX
Laughlin AFB, TX		222 mi north-northwest34,800 ftLimited — 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 Santa Cruz

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 10 tornadoes within 25 miles of Santa Cruz, 2 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and August. The strongest was an F2 on April 26, 1967, which passed about 21 miles east-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on June 3, 2009, which touched down about 15 miles northeast of town.

Hail: 64 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 11 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on April 21, 2023.

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 Santa Cruz'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.

Santa Cruz radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Santa Cruz, TX?

KBRO (Brownsville, TX), about 89 miles east-southeast. KCRP (Corpus Christi, TX) is 125 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Santa Cruz?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Santa Cruz the lowest scan from KBRO is about 8,100 ft up — fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation.

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

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