St. Stephens, NC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for St. StephensWhat TALON shows

What weather hits St. Stephens?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 171 days in the Catawba forecast zone and Catawba County — the most common reported hazard around St. Stephens, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (33 days) and flash flooding (27 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds171Jun 2026Jun 13, 2013 · $250,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms33Jan 2026Feb 26, 2004 · $2,000 damage
Flash flooding27Sep 2024Sep 27, 2024 · $50 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage19Aug 2021Aug 17, 2021 · $150,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet16Jan 2019Dec 4, 2002 · $9.0 million damage
High winds11Feb 2008Apr 16, 2007 · $500,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill8Feb 2026—
Flooding7Nov 2020May 6, 2013 · $2.0 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 Catawba forecast zone and Catawba County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover St. Stephens?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KGSP (Greer, SC), about 81 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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over St. StephensView
KGSP
Greer, SC		81 mi southwest7,000 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFCX
Blacksburg, VA		103 mi north-northeast10,100 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KMRX
Knoxville, TN		122 mi west-northwest13,100 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 St. Stephens

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 79 tornadoes within 25 miles of St. Stephens, 16 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and October. The strongest was an F4 on May 5, 1989, which passed about 10 miles southwest of town and caused 4 deaths. The most recent was an EF1 on January 9, 2024, which passed about 10 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 337 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 18 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on June 3, 1998.

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 St. Stephens'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.

St. Stephens radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to St. Stephens, NC?

KGSP (Greer, SC), about 81 miles southwest. KFCX (Blacksburg, VA) is 103 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in St. Stephens?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over St. Stephens the lowest scan from KGSP is about 7,000 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

Radar for nearby towns

All North Carolina towns →