Clear Lake, WI Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Clear LakeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Clear Lake?

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 Clear Lake, mostly in March and December. Next come damaging thunderstorm winds (75 days) and extreme cold & wind chill (18 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Heavy snow & winter storms91Mar 2026—
Damaging thunderstorm winds75Jun 2026Sep 12, 2005 · $4.1 million damage
Extreme cold & wind chill18Jan 2026—
Excessive heat10Aug 2023—
Flash flooding7Sep 2015Sep 1, 2002 · $400,000 damage
Flooding4Mar 2019Mar 15, 2019 · $18,000 damage
High winds2Oct 2010Oct 26, 2010 · $25,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet1Jan 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 Clear Lake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KMPX (Minneapolis, MN), about 69 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Clear LakeView
KMPX
Minneapolis, MN		69 mi west-southwest5,600 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KDLH
Duluth, MN		110 mi north11,100 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KARX
La Crosse, WI		112 mi south-southeast11,400 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 Clear Lake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 86 tornadoes within 25 miles of Clear Lake, 14 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in July and June. The strongest was an F5 on June 4, 1958, which passed about 22 miles south-southeast of town and caused 21 deaths. The most recent was an EF2 on May 15, 2025, which passed about 15 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 205 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 25 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 16, 2017.

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 Clear Lake'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.

Clear Lake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Clear Lake, WI?

KMPX (Minneapolis, MN), about 69 miles west-southwest. KDLH (Duluth, MN) is 110 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Clear Lake?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Clear Lake the lowest scan from KMPX is about 5,600 ft up.

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

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