St. Charles, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for St. CharlesWhat TALON shows

What weather hits St. Charles?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 104 days in the Lee forecast zone and Lee County — the most common reported hazard around St. Charles, mostly in June and July. Next come heavy snow & winter storms (13 days) and ice storms & sleet (5 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds104Jul 2025Jun 22, 2015 · $30,000 damage
Heavy snow & winter storms13Feb 2026—
Ice storms & sleet5Jan 2010Jan 30, 2010 · $15,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms5Sep 2024Sep 27, 2024 · 1 death · $1.1 million damage
Flash flooding3Sep 2020Sep 17, 2020 · $2,000 damage
High winds1Oct 2016Oct 8, 2016 · $1.8 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage1Jul 2000Jul 5, 2000 · $60,000 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 Lee forecast zone and Lee County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover St. Charles?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 52 miles west. 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. CharlesView
KCAE
Columbia, SC		52 mi west3,700 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		103 mi east10,100 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KCLX
Charleston, SC		109 mi south-southwest11,000 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. Charles

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 77 tornadoes within 25 miles of St. Charles, 15 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and April. The strongest was an EF3 on April 15, 2007, which passed about 7 miles south-southwest of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF0 on September 27, 2024, which passed about 18 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 189 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 20 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on May 25, 2000.

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. Charles'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. Charles radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to St. Charles, SC?

KCAE (Columbia, SC), about 52 miles west. KLTX (Wilmington, NC) is 103 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in St. Charles?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over St. Charles the lowest scan from KCAE is about 3,700 ft up.

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

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