La Crosse, VA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for La Crosse, Mecklenburg County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for La CrosseWhat TALON shows

What weather hits La Crosse?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 120 days in the Mecklenburg forecast zone and Mecklenburg County — the most common reported hazard around La Crosse, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (30 days) and flash flooding (22 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds120Jun 2026Jun 29, 2012 · $90,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms30Feb 2026Feb 18, 2021 · $30,000 damage
Flash flooding22Aug 2025Jan 9, 2024 · 1 death · $5,000 damage
Flooding9Jun 2020Oct 8, 2016 · $25,000 damage
Excessive heat4Jun 2025—
Ice storms & sleet3Feb 2021Feb 13, 2021 · $50,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage3Jul 2024Aug 27, 2000 · $10,000 damage
High winds2Oct 2018Oct 11, 2018 · $10,000 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 Mecklenburg forecast zone and Mecklenburg County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover La Crosse?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 63 miles east-northeast. 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 La CrosseView
KAKQ
Wakefield, VA		63 mi east-northeast4,900 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		75 mi south-southwest6,300 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFCX
Blacksburg, VA		123 mi west13,200 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 La Crosse

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 36 tornadoes within 25 miles of La Crosse, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and April. The strongest was an F3 on October 14, 1986, which passed about 19 miles east-northeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on May 27, 2020, which touched down about 13 miles south-southwest of town.

Hail: 76 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 8 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on February 24, 2016.

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 La Crosse'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.

La Crosse radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to La Crosse, VA?

KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 63 miles east-northeast. KRAX (Raleigh/Durham, NC) is 75 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in La Crosse?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over La Crosse the lowest scan from KAKQ is about 4,900 ft up.

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

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