Chesapeake, VA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for ChesapeakeWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Chesapeake?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 95 days in the Chesapeake forecast zone and City of Chesapeake County — the most common reported hazard around Chesapeake, mostly in June and August. Next come flash flooding (35 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (27 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds95Jun 2026Jun 19, 2014 · $100,000 damage
Flash flooding35Jun 2026—
Heavy snow & winter storms27Feb 2026Feb 19, 2025 · $1,000 damage
Hurricanes & tropical storms13Sep 2023Sep 18, 2003 · $30 million damage
Coastal flooding12Oct 2025Oct 28, 2012 · $275,000 damage
Flooding10Nov 2020Oct 8, 2016 · $21 million damage
Lightning casualties & damage7Jul 2021Jul 15, 2017 · 3 deaths · $1.0 million damage
Excessive heat5Jul 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 Chesapeake forecast zone and City of Chesapeake County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Chesapeake?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 44 miles west-northwest. 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 ChesapeakeView
KAKQ
Wakefield, VA		44 mi west-northwest3,000 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KMHX
Morehead City, NC		135 mi south-southwest15,400 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KRAX
Raleigh/Durham, NC		141 mi west-southwest16,400 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 Chesapeake

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 90 tornadoes within 25 miles of Chesapeake, 17 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in August and July. The strongest was an F3 on March 28, 1984, which passed about 18 miles southwest of town and caused 2 deaths. The most recent was an EF0 on June 16, 2023, which passed about 20 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 204 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 11 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on June 9, 2009.

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 Chesapeake'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.

Chesapeake radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Chesapeake, VA?

KAKQ (Wakefield, VA), about 44 miles west-northwest. KMHX (Morehead City, NC) is 135 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Chesapeake?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Chesapeake the lowest scan from KAKQ is about 3,000 ft up.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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