Chowan Beach, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Chowan BeachWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Chowan Beach?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 41 days in the Chowan forecast zone and Chowan County — the most common reported hazard around Chowan Beach, mostly in June and July. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (26 days) and hurricanes & tropical storms (17 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds41Jun 2026May 11, 1996 · $400,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms26Feb 2026Feb 19, 2025 · $1,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms17Sep 2023Sep 18, 2003 · 1 death · $7.6 million damage
Excessive heat6Jul 2025Jul 28, 2016 · 1 death
Flash flooding6Aug 2024—
High winds5Apr 2020Oct 8, 2016 · $75,000 damage
Flooding5Apr 2021Oct 8, 2016 · $500,000 damage
Coastal flooding3Aug 2020—

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

Which radars cover Chowan Beach?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 56 miles north-northwest. 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 Chowan BeachView
KAKQ
Wakefield, VA		56 mi north-northwest4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		100 mi south9,600 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		106 mi west-southwest10,600 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 Chowan Beach

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 76 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chowan Beach, 20 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and March. The strongest was an EF3 on April 16, 2011, which passed about 5 miles northwest of town and caused 12 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on March 17, 2025, which passed about 22 miles east of town.

Hail: 97 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 9 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.25-inch hail on May 9, 2003.

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 Chowan 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.

Chowan Beach radar FAQ

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

KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 56 miles north-northwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 100 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Chowan Beach?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Chowan Beach the lowest scan from KAKQ is about 4,100 ft up.

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

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