Franklin, WV Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for FranklinWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Franklin?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 47 days in the Eastern Pendleton forecast zone and Pendleton County — the most common reported hazard around Franklin, mostly in July and June. Next come extreme cold & wind chill (33 days) and flash flooding (28 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds47Jun 2026Jul 17, 2021 · $25,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill33Feb 2026—
Flash flooding28Aug 2025Sep 6, 1996 · 1 death · $1.1 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms25Jan 2026—
High winds16Feb 2025—
Flooding13Jul 2025Mar 4, 2008 · $2,000 damage
Ice storms & sleet2Dec 2022—
Blizzards1Oct 2012—

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

How much snow does Franklin get?

A normal year brings about 27 inches of snow to Franklin, based on NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Franklin 2 Ne weather station 2.5 miles away. The snowiest month is usually January (8.1 in).

OctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay
0.01.25.88.18.13.50.00.0

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

Which radars cover Franklin?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KLWX (Sterling, MD), about 102 miles east-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 FranklinView
KLWX
Sterling, MD		102 mi east-northeast9,900 ftFair — the beam can pass over shallow snow and low-level rotation
KFCX
Blacksburg, VA		123 mi south-southwest13,300 ftLimited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms
KRLX
Charleston, WV		131 mi west14,700 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 Franklin

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 5 tornadoes within 25 miles of Franklin, 2 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in June and May. The strongest was an EF2 on April 28, 2011, which passed about 20 miles east of town.

Hail: 58 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 1 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 2.50-inch hail on August 7, 2023.

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 Franklin'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.

Franklin radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Franklin, WV?

KLWX (Sterling, MD), about 102 miles east-northeast. KFCX (Blacksburg, VA) is 123 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Franklin?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Franklin the lowest scan from KLWX is about 9,900 ft up, so light snow from shallow clouds can be under-shown — check NWS winter alerts too.

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

Radar for nearby towns

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