Waco, TX Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Waco What TALON shows

Which radars cover Waco?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Waco, TX is KGRK (Central Texas), about 59 miles to the south-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 Waco	View of low-level rotation
KGRK Central Texas, TX	59 mi south-southwest	4,400 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KFWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX	71 mi north	5,800 ft	Good — low-level rotation is usually visible
KEWX San Antonio, TX	138 mi south-southwest	15,900 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 Waco'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 Waco

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Waco, 29 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in April and October. The strongest was an F5 on May 11, 1953, which crossed near the city center and caused 114 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 11, 2025, which touched down about 13 miles north-northwest of the city.

Hail: 400 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Waco since 1955, 54 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on April 26, 2023.

Tornadoes since 1950	102
EF2/F2 or stronger	29
Strongest tornado	F5 · May 1953
Busiest tornado month	April
Largest hail	4.50 in · Apr 2023

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.

Waco radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Waco?

KGRK near Central Texas, TX, about 59 miles away. A second radar, KFWS (Dallas/Fort Worth), is 71 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Waco?

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 Waco the lowest scan from KGRK is roughly 4,400 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 Waco?

NOAA records show 102 tornadoes within 25 miles of Waco since 1950 — about 1.3 a year on average, most often in April and October. Most were weak, but 29 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 Waco, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.