Altoona, WA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Altoona What TALON shows

What weather hits Altoona?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 41 days in the Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands forecast zone and Wahkiakum County — the most common reported hazard around Altoona, mostly in December and November.

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	41	Feb 2025	Dec 2, 2007 · $420,000 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 Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands forecast zone and Wahkiakum County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Altoona get?

A normal year brings about 2.1 inches of snow to Altoona, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Grays Rvr Hatchery weather station 8.6 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (1.5 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.0	0.2	1.5	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Altoona?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRTX (Portland, OR), about 50 miles 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 Altoona	View
KRTX Portland, OR	50 mi southeast	3,500 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLGX Langley Hill, WA	63 mi north-northwest	4,900 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KATX Seattle/Tacoma, WA	143 mi north-northeast	16,800 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 Altoona

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 7 tornadoes within 25 miles of Altoona. Most came in October and June. The strongest was an F1 on October 3, 1967, which touched down about 18 miles west-southwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on March 19, 2021, which touched down about 19 miles west of town.

Hail: 4 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.00-inch hail on January 18, 2018.

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 Altoona'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.

Altoona radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Altoona, WA?

KRTX (Portland, OR), about 50 miles southeast. KLGX (Langley Hill, WA) is 63 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Altoona flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 41 days in the Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands forecast zone and Wahkiakum County. TALON's free flash-flood risk layer shows, every 2 minutes, how close the rain that has fallen is to what it takes to flood — turn it on under Layers.

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

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