Birch Bay, WA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Birch Bay What TALON shows

What weather hits Birch Bay?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 5 days in the Lowlands of Western Whatcom County forecast zone and Whatcom County — the most common reported hazard around Birch Bay, mostly in November and January. Next come storm surge (2 days) and damaging thunderstorm winds (2 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flooding	5	Nov 2021	Nov 14, 2021 · 1 death · $34 million damage
Storm surge	2	Dec 2001	Dec 15, 2000 · $650,000 damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	2	Jun 2012	Jun 23, 2012 · $1,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	1	Nov 1996	Nov 9, 1996 · $3,000 damage
Debris flows	1	Jan 2013	Jan 8, 2013 · $5,000 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 Lowlands of Western Whatcom County forecast zone and Whatcom County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Birch Bay get?

A normal year brings about 9.3 inches of snow to Birch Bay, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Blaine weather station 4.3 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (3.7 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.1	0.4	3.3	3.7	0.8	1.0	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 Birch Bay?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KATX (Seattle/Tacoma, WA), about 52 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 Birch Bay	View
KATX Seattle/Tacoma, WA	52 mi south-southeast	3,700 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLGX Langley Hill, WA	140 mi south-southwest	16,200 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KRTX Portland, OR	222 mi south	34,900 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 Birch Bay

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 1 tornado within 25 miles of Birch Bay. The strongest was an F0 on April 27, 2004, which touched down about 24 miles east-northeast of town.

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 Birch Bay'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.

Birch Bay radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Birch Bay, WA?

KATX (Seattle/Tacoma, WA), about 52 miles south-southeast. KLGX (Langley Hill, WA) is 140 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Birch Bay flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged river or areal flooding on 5 days in the Lowlands of Western Whatcom County forecast zone and Whatcom County; the deadliest was on November 14, 2021, with 1 death. 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 Birch Bay 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 Birch Bay, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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