Lake of the Woods, VA Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Lake of the WoodsWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Lake of the Woods?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 146 days in the Orange forecast zone and Orange County — the most common reported hazard around Lake of the Woods, mostly in June and August. Next come excessive heat (54 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (47 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds146Mar 2026Jun 6, 2002 · $200,000 damage
Excessive heat54Aug 2021—
Heavy snow & winter storms47Jan 2026Jan 12, 1996 · $250,000 damage
Flooding40Jun 2025Sep 6, 1996 · $1.1 million damage
Flash flooding27Jul 2025Sep 6, 1996 · $580,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill13Feb 2026Mar 11, 1998 · $10,000 damage
High winds6Mar 2018Sep 18, 2003 · $1.7 million damage
Ice storms & sleet3Feb 2021—

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

Which radars cover Lake of the Woods?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLWX (Sterling, MD), about 47 miles north-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.

RadarDistanceLowest beam over Lake of the WoodsView
KLWX
Sterling, MD		47 mi north-northeast3,200 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KAKQ
Wakefield, VA		102 mi south-southeast9,900 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KDOX
Dover AFB, DE		130 mi east-northeast14,400 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 Lake of the Woods

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 68 tornadoes within 25 miles of Lake of the Woods, 12 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in September and July. The strongest was an F4 on September 24, 2001, which passed about 20 miles northwest of town. The most recent was an EF1 on August 8, 2024, which passed about 14 miles northeast of town.

Hail: 202 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 10 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 4.50-inch hail on May 4, 1996.

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 Lake of the Woods'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.

Lake of the Woods radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Lake of the Woods, VA?

KLWX (Sterling, MD), about 47 miles north-northeast. KAKQ (Wakefield, VA) is 102 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Lake of the Woods?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Lake of the Woods the lowest scan from KLWX is about 3,200 ft up.

Is TALON's radar for Lake of the Woods 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 Lake of the Woods, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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