Charlotte, NC Live Doppler Radar

Watch storms move over Charlotte in real time — every NWS radar combined, storm tracks, official warnings, and the closest radar's full 250 m detail.

Open live radar for Charlotte What TALON shows

Which radars cover Charlotte?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar to Charlotte, NC is KGSP (Greer), about 81 miles to the west-southwest. Radar beams climb as they travel because the Earth curves away underneath them, so the height of the lowest scan over a city decides how much of a storm's base the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Charlotte	View of low-level rotation
KGSP Greer, SC	81 mi west-southwest	7,100 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KCAE Columbia, SC	90 mi south	8,200 ft	Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground
KFCX Blacksburg, VA	128 mi north-northeast	14,100 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, using standard atmospheric refraction. Hills and buildings near the radar can block it further.

On TALON you get Charlotte's live radar loop, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Tornado & hail history near Charlotte

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 93 tornadoes within 25 miles of Charlotte, 20 of them rated EF2/F2 or stronger. They have been most common in May and March. The strongest was an F4 on May 5, 1989, which passed about 17 miles southeast of the city and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on May 3, 2025, which touched down about 15 miles north-northwest of the city.

Hail: 414 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 25 miles of Charlotte since 1955, 37 of them 2 inches or larger. The largest was 4.50-inch hail (grapefruit size) on May 7, 1998.

Tornadoes since 1950	93
EF2/F2 or stronger	20
Strongest tornado	F4 · May 1989
Busiest tornado month	May
Largest hail	4.50 in · May 1998

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025 (the latest year is preliminary). Distances are to each tornado's recorded track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale.

Charlotte radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Charlotte?

KGSP near Greer, SC, about 81 miles away. A second radar, KCAE (Columbia), is 90 miles away and also covers the area.

Can radar see a tornado over Charlotte?

Radar can't see the tornado itself, but it can see the rotating storm and, once a tornado is lofting debris, a debris signature. Over Charlotte the lowest scan from KGSP is roughly 7,100 ft up. Fair — the lowest scan is already well above the ground. TALON combines that with NOAA's ProbSevere model to flag storms most likely to produce tornadoes.

How often do tornadoes hit Charlotte?

NOAA records show 93 tornadoes within 25 miles of Charlotte since 1950 — about 1.2 a year on average, most often in May and March. Most were weak, but 20 were EF2/F2 or stronger.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Charlotte, take shelter right away — see watch vs. warning.