Cowen, WV Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for Cowen What TALON shows

What weather hits Cowen?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 62 days in the Northwest Webster forecast zone and Webster County — the most common reported hazard around Cowen, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (34 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (20 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds	62	Jun 2026	Jun 29, 2012 · $750,000 damage
Flash flooding	34	Jun 2025	Jun 23, 2016 · $4.0 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms	20	Mar 2026	—
Flooding	16	Feb 2025	Jun 23, 2016 · $5.0 million damage
High winds	3	Jan 2024	Jan 12, 2024 · $5,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill	2	Feb 2026	—

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

How much snow does Cowen get?

A normal year brings about 91 inches of snow to Cowen, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Webster Springs 8 N weather station 11.4 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (28.9 in).

Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May
0.7	6.5	18.5	28.9	15.5	17.1	3.9	0.0

Normal snowfall in inches. TALON Pro compares this season's snow at your location with these normals as winter goes on.

Which radars cover Cowen?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRLX (Charleston, WV), about 64 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.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Cowen	View
KRLX Charleston, WV	64 mi west	5,000 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KFCX Blacksburg, VA	97 mi south	9,200 ft	Fair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KPBZ Pittsburgh, PA	148 mi north	17,700 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 Cowen

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Cowen. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F1 on March 14, 1967, which touched down about 19 miles southwest of town. The most recent was an EF1 on June 21, 2016, which passed about 10 miles south-southeast of town.

Hail: 72 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 6 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on June 7, 1980.

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 Cowen'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.

Cowen radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Cowen, WV?

KRLX (Charleston, WV), about 64 miles west. KFCX (Blacksburg, VA) is 97 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Cowen?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Cowen the lowest scan from KRLX is about 5,000 ft up.

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

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