Ruby, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Ruby What TALON shows

What weather hits Ruby?

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 Ruby, mostly in July and June. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (26 days) and flash flooding (21 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	144	Jul 2025	Aug 23, 2007 · $1.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	26	Feb 2026	Jan 30, 2010 · $15,000 damage
Flash flooding	21	Aug 2024	Sep 19, 2014 · $44,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet	9	Jan 2026	—
Hurricanes & tropical storms	7	Sep 2024	Sep 27, 2024 · 1 death · $550,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage	2	Jun 2011	Jun 21, 2011 · 1 death
Flooding	1	Jul 2005	—
Excessive heat	1	Feb 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 Ruby?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 77 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Ruby	View
KCAE Columbia, SC	77 mi southwest	6,500 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KLTX Wilmington, NC	113 mi east-southeast	11,600 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KRAX Raleigh/Durham, NC	115 mi northeast	11,800 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 Ruby

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 56 tornadoes within 25 miles of Ruby, 12 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in March and April. The strongest was an F4 on April 8, 1957, which passed about 4 miles south of town and caused 4 deaths. The most recent was an EF2 on March 31, 2022, which passed about 25 miles north of town.

Hail: 128 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 10 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 Ruby'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.

Ruby radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Ruby, SC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 77 miles southwest. KLTX (Wilmington, NC) is 113 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Ruby?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Ruby the lowest scan from KCAE is about 6,500 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

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