Clearwater, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Clearwater What TALON shows

What weather hits Clearwater?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 255 days in the Aiken forecast zone and Aiken County — the most common reported hazard around Clearwater, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (13 days) and lightning casualties & damage (10 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	255	Jun 2026	Apr 6, 2011 · $500,000 damage
Flash flooding	13	Aug 2025	Jun 3, 2013 · $340,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	10	Apr 2022	Jan 11, 2008 · 1 death
Heavy snow & winter storms	8	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	5	Sep 2024	Sep 27, 2024 · 10 deaths · $56 million damage
High winds	5	Jan 2022	Oct 8, 2016 · $50,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	4	Feb 2014	—
Wildfires	3	Mar 2025	—

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

Which radars cover Clearwater?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 55 miles northeast. 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 Clearwater	View
KCAE Columbia, SC	55 mi northeast	4,000 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KCLX Charleston, SC	77 mi southeast	6,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KGSP Greer, SC	97 mi north	9,200 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 Clearwater

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 68 tornadoes within 25 miles of Clearwater, 22 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F3 on May 7, 1998, which passed about 10 miles north of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF1 on May 12, 2025, which touched down about 4 miles east-northeast of town.

Hail: 218 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 6 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on May 29, 2017.

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 Clearwater'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.

Clearwater radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Clearwater, SC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 55 miles northeast. KCLX (Charleston, SC) is 77 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Clearwater?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Clearwater the lowest scan from KCAE is about 4,000 ft up.

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

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