Wheeler, WA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Wheeler What TALON shows

What weather hits Wheeler?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged wildfire on 28 days in the Moses Lake Area forecast zone and Grant County — the most common reported hazard around Wheeler, mostly in July and June. Next come high winds (25 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (20 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Wildfires	28	Jul 2023	Jul 10, 2023 · $710,000 damage
High winds	25	Dec 2025	Dec 14, 2006 · $2.3 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	20	Dec 2022	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	16	Jun 2022	May 31, 1997 · $200,000 damage
Dust storms	15	Mar 2026	Oct 13, 2020 · 1 death · $20,000 damage
Flash flooding	8	May 2023	May 17, 2018 · $100,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Nov 2023	Nov 19, 1996 · 1 death · $7.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	4	May 2006	Jul 7, 2002 · $150,000 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 Moses Lake Area forecast zone and Grant County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Wheeler?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KOTX (Spokane, WA), about 82 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Wheeler	View
KOTX Spokane, WA	82 mi east-northeast	7,100 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KPDT Pendleton, OR	101 mi south	9,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KATX Seattle/Tacoma, WA	171 mi west-northwest	22,500 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 Wheeler

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 6 tornadoes within 25 miles of Wheeler. Most came in May and July. The strongest was an F1 on August 10, 1985, which touched down about 13 miles south-southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on May 26, 2023, which touched down about 12 miles west of town.

Hail: 7 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.75-inch hail on July 20, 2012.

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 Wheeler'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.

Wheeler radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Wheeler, WA?

KOTX (Spokane, WA), about 82 miles east-northeast. KPDT (Pendleton, OR) is 101 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Wheeler?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Wheeler the lowest scan from KOTX is about 7,100 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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