Northwest, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Northwest What TALON shows

What weather hits Northwest?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 74 days in the Inland Brunswick forecast zone and Brunswick County — the most common reported hazard around Northwest, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (46 days) and lightning casualties & damage (26 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	74	Jun 2026	Apr 15, 2007 · $150,000 damage
Flash flooding	46	May 2025	Oct 8, 2016 · $1.0 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage	26	Jul 2025	Jul 17, 2004 · 1 death
Flooding	23	Sep 2024	Sep 16, 2024 · 1 death
Hurricanes & tropical storms	7	Sep 2022	Sep 14, 2018 · $200,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	7	Feb 2026	—
Excessive heat	4	Jun 2015	—
Wildfires	2	Apr 2016	Apr 19, 2016 · $2.3 million 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 Inland Brunswick forecast zone and Brunswick County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Northwest?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 28 miles 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Northwest	View
KLTX Wilmington, NC	28 mi southwest	1,700 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMHX Morehead City, NC	79 mi east-northeast	6,700 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX Raleigh/Durham, NC	95 mi north-northwest	8,900 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation

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 Northwest

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 94 tornadoes within 25 miles of Northwest, 7 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and August. The strongest was an F3 on November 16, 2006, which touched down about 6 miles west-northwest of town and caused 8 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on July 6, 2025, which touched down about 14 miles east of town.

Hail: 174 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 Northwest'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.

Northwest radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Northwest, NC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 28 miles southwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 79 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Northwest?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Northwest the lowest scan from KLTX is about 1,700 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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