Santa Monica, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Santa Monica What TALON shows

What weather hits Santa Monica?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged dangerous heat on 47 days in the Inland Willacy forecast zone and Willacy County — the most common reported hazard around Santa Monica, mostly in June and August. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (26 days) and flash flooding (23 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Excessive heat	47	Jun 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	26	Mar 2024	May 24, 2009 · $50,000 damage
Flash flooding	23	Mar 2025	Jul 23, 2008 · $50 million damage
Flooding	16	Apr 2025	Jul 24, 2008 · $50 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	7	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	3	Jul 2020	Jul 25, 2020 · $177 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	3	Mar 2025	Mar 27, 2025 · 2 deaths · $20,000 damage
High winds	2	Mar 2008	Mar 17, 2008 · $1,000 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 Inland Willacy forecast zone and Willacy County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Santa Monica?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KBRO (Brownsville, TX), about 33 miles south-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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Santa Monica	View
KBRO Brownsville, TX	33 mi south-southeast	2,100 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KCRP Corpus Christi, TX	98 mi north	9,300 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KEWX San Antonio, TX	232 mi north	37,600 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 Santa Monica

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 69 tornadoes within 25 miles of Santa Monica, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and September. The strongest was an F3 on May 12, 1969, which touched down about 12 miles south-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 27, 2025, which touched down about 23 miles west-southwest of town.

Hail: 91 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 16 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.01-inch hail on April 2, 2017.

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 Monica'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 Monica radar FAQ

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

KBRO (Brownsville, TX), about 33 miles south-southeast. KCRP (Corpus Christi, TX) is 98 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Santa Monica?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Santa Monica the lowest scan from KBRO is about 2,100 ft up — excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground.

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

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