Cheraw, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for CherawWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Cheraw?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 144 days in the Chesterfield forecast zone and Chesterfield County — the most common reported hazard around Cheraw, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (26 days) and flash flooding (21 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds144Jul 2025Aug 23, 2007 · $1.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms26Feb 2026Jan 30, 2010 · $15,000 damage
Flash flooding21Aug 2024Sep 19, 2014 · $44,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet9Jan 2026—
Hurricanes & tropical storms7Sep 2024Sep 27, 2024 · 1 death · $550,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage2Jun 2011Jun 21, 2011 · 1 death
Flooding1Jul 2005—
Excessive heat1Feb 2015—

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

Which radars cover Cheraw?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 86 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 CherawView
KCAE
Columbia, SC		86 mi southwest7,700 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		98 mi east-southeast9,300 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		105 mi northeast10,300 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 Cheraw

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 57 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cheraw, 10 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and May. The strongest was an F4 on March 28, 1984, which passed about 10 miles east-southeast of town and caused 7 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on May 14, 2024, which touched down about 24 miles southeast of town.

Hail: 145 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 8 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on May 5, 2020.

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 Cheraw'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.

Cheraw radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Cheraw, SC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 86 miles southwest. KLTX (Wilmington, NC) is 98 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Cheraw?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Cheraw the lowest scan from KCAE is about 7,700 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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