Carolina Beach, NC Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Carolina Beach, New Hanover County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Carolina BeachWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Carolina Beach?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 83 days in the Coastal New Hanover forecast zone and New Hanover County — the most common reported hazard around Carolina Beach, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (49 days) and lightning casualties & damage (37 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds83May 2026May 31, 2003 · $750,000 damage
Flash flooding49Aug 2025Sep 16, 2018 · $2.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage37Jun 2026Aug 5, 2020 · 2 deaths · $2,000 damage
Flooding29Aug 2024Dec 24, 2014 · $10,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms11Sep 2022Sep 25, 2018 · 1 death
Heavy snow & winter storms7Feb 2026—
Coastal flooding6Dec 2023—
High winds4Mar 2022—

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 Coastal New Hanover forecast zone and New Hanover County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Carolina Beach?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 31 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Carolina BeachView
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		31 mi west1,900 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		77 mi northeast6,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		117 mi north-northwest12,200 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 Carolina Beach

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 73 tornadoes within 25 miles of Carolina Beach, 4 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an EF3 on February 15, 2021, which passed about 25 miles west-northwest of town and caused 3 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on July 6, 2025, which touched down about 16 miles north of town.

Hail: 135 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 5 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.50-inch hail on June 16, 1971.

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 Carolina Beach'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.

Carolina Beach radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Carolina Beach, NC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 31 miles west. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 77 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Carolina Beach?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Carolina Beach the lowest scan from KLTX is about 1,900 ft up.

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

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