Summerville, SC Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for SummervilleWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Summerville?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 222 days in the Dorchester forecast zone and Dorchester County — the most common reported hazard around Summerville, mostly in July and June. Next come flash flooding (33 days) and lightning casualties & damage (19 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds222Jun 2026Mar 15, 2008 · $60,000 damage
Flash flooding33Aug 2025Oct 3, 2015 · $3.1 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage19Jun 2026Jul 13, 2019 · $100,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms17Sep 2024Sep 26, 2024 · $303,000 damage
Flooding11Feb 2023Feb 11, 2023 · $25,000 damage
Excessive heat7Jul 2010—
Heavy snow & winter storms6Jan 2026Jan 3, 2018 · 1 death
Ice storms & sleet5Feb 2014—

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

Which radars cover Summerville?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KCLX (Charleston, SC), about 56 miles west-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 SummervilleView
KCLX
Charleston, SC		56 mi west-southwest4,100 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KCAE
Columbia, SC		85 mi northwest7,500 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KLTX
Wilmington, NC		122 mi northeast13,000 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 Summerville

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 88 tornadoes within 25 miles of Summerville, 7 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in May and September. The strongest was an F3 on September 11, 1960, which passed about 18 miles southeast of town. The most recent was an EF0 on September 27, 2024, which touched down about 13 miles south-southeast of town.

Hail: 376 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 9 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.75-inch hail on August 2, 2012.

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 Summerville'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.

Summerville radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Summerville, SC?

KCLX (Charleston, SC), about 56 miles west-southwest. KCAE (Columbia, SC) is 85 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Summerville?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Summerville the lowest scan from KCLX is about 4,100 ft up.

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

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