Charleston, AR Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Charleston What TALON shows

What weather hits Charleston?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 172 days in the Central and Southern Franklin forecast zone and Franklin County — the most common reported hazard around Charleston, mostly in May and August. Next come flash flooding (59 days) and flooding (11 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	172	Apr 2026	Jun 17, 2023 · $250,000 damage
Flash flooding	59	Sep 2025	Jul 18, 2021 · $250,000 damage
Flooding	11	Apr 2025	Dec 13, 2015 · $100,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	7	Jun 2010	Jun 17, 2009 · $50,000 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 Central and Southern Franklin forecast zone and Franklin County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

How much snow does Charleston get?

A normal year brings about 2.7 inches of snow to Charleston, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Ratcliff weather station 9.7 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (1.1 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.0	0.0	0.2	1.1	0.7	0.7	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 Charleston?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 18 miles west. 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 Charleston	View
KSRX Fort Smith, AR	18 mi west	1,000 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KINX Tulsa, OK	105 mi northwest	10,300 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KLZK Little Rock, AR	106 mi east-southeast	10,500 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 Charleston

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 123 tornadoes within 25 miles of Charleston, 26 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and May. The strongest was an F4 on April 19, 1968, which touched down about 14 miles west-southwest of town and caused 14 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 6, 2025, which touched down about 18 miles west-northwest of town.

Hail: 491 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 59 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on March 26, 2000.

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 Charleston'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.

Charleston radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Charleston, AR?

KSRX (Fort Smith, AR), about 18 miles west. KINX (Tulsa, OK) is 105 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado near Charleston?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it shows the rotating storm and, once debris is lofted, a debris signature. Over Charleston the lowest scan from KSRX is about 1,000 ft up — excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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