Silver Lake, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Silver LakeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Silver Lake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 83 days in the Inland New Hanover forecast zone and New Hanover County — the most common reported hazard around Silver Lake, 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 storms7Sep 2022Sep 14, 2018 · $1.0 billion damage
Heavy snow & winter storms7Feb 2026—
Excessive heat4Jun 2015—
High winds3Apr 2024Apr 26, 2019 · $10,000 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 Inland New Hanover forecast zone and New Hanover County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Silver Lake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 32 miles west-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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Silver LakeView
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		32 mi west-southwest2,000 ftExcellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		73 mi northeast6,100 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		110 mi north-northwest11,200 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 Silver Lake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 85 tornadoes within 25 miles of Silver Lake, 6 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 23 miles northwest of town and caused 8 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on July 6, 2025, which touched down about 9 miles north of town.

Hail: 152 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 Silver Lake'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.

Silver Lake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Silver Lake, NC?

KLTX (Wilmington, NC), about 32 miles west-southwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 73 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Silver Lake?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Silver Lake the lowest scan from KLTX is about 2,000 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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