Oakboro, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Oakboro What TALON shows

What weather hits Oakboro?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 133 days in the Stanly forecast zone and Stanly County — the most common reported hazard around Oakboro, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (58 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (28 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	133	Jun 2026	Jun 13, 2013 · $2.5 million damage
Flash flooding	58	Aug 2025	Jun 16, 2003 · 5 deaths
Heavy snow & winter storms	28	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	8	Sep 2022	Sep 30, 2022 · $750,000 damage
Flooding	8	Sep 2018	Sep 17, 2018 · $24 million damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Dec 1998	—
Lightning casualties & damage	4	Aug 2010	Jul 27, 2009 · $50,000 damage
High winds	3	Feb 2010	Feb 10, 2010 · $1,000 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 Stanly forecast zone and Stanly County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Oakboro?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 99 miles south-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 Oakboro	View
KCAE Columbia, SC	99 mi south-southwest	9,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX Raleigh/Durham, NC	108 mi east-northeast	10,800 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KGSP Greer, SC	109 mi west-southwest	11,000 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 Oakboro

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 62 tornadoes within 25 miles of Oakboro, 17 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and March. The strongest was an F4 on May 5, 1989, which passed about 15 miles southwest of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF1 on March 5, 2025, which touched down about 15 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 211 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 19 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 25, 1986.

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 Oakboro'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.

Oakboro radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Oakboro, NC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 99 miles south-southwest. KRAX (Raleigh/Durham, NC) is 108 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Oakboro?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Oakboro the lowest scan from KCAE is about 9,500 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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