Clayton, WI Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Clayton What TALON shows

What weather hits Clayton?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged heavy snow or a winter storm on 91 days in the Polk forecast zone and Polk County — the most common reported hazard around Clayton, mostly in March and December. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (75 days) and extreme cold & wind chill (18 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms	91	Mar 2026	—
Damaging thunderstorm winds	75	Jun 2026	Sep 12, 2005 · $4.1 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	18	Jan 2026	—
Excessive heat	10	Aug 2023	—
Flash flooding	7	Sep 2015	Sep 1, 2002 · $400,000 damage
Flooding	4	Mar 2019	Mar 15, 2019 · $18,000 damage
High winds	2	Oct 2010	Oct 26, 2010 · $25,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	1	Jan 1996	—

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 Polk forecast zone and Polk County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Clayton?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMPX (Minneapolis, MN), about 76 miles west-southwest. 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 Clayton	View
KMPX Minneapolis, MN	76 mi west-southwest	6,400 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDLH Duluth, MN	104 mi north	10,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KARX La Crosse, WI	114 mi south-southeast	11,800 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 Clayton

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 76 tornadoes within 25 miles of Clayton, 14 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in July and June. The strongest was an F3 on June 23, 1952, which passed about 19 miles northwest of town and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF2 on May 15, 2025, which passed about 23 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 202 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 32 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.50-inch hail on July 23, 1965.

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 Clayton'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.

Clayton radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Clayton, WI?

KMPX (Minneapolis, MN), about 76 miles west-southwest. KDLH (Duluth, MN) is 104 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Clayton?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Clayton the lowest scan from KMPX is about 6,400 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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