Rainelle, WV Live Doppler Radar

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

Open live radar for RainelleWhat TALON shows

What weather hits Rainelle?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged damaging thunderstorm winds on 120 days in the Western Greenbrier forecast zone and Greenbrier County — the most common reported hazard around Rainelle, mostly in June and July. Next come flash flooding (37 days) and heavy snow & winter storms (34 days).

HazardDays reportedMost recentWorst on record
Damaging thunderstorm winds120Jun 2026Jun 29, 2012 · $750,000 damage
Flash flooding37Aug 2025Jun 23, 2016 · 16 deaths · $40 million damage
Heavy snow & winter storms34Jan 2026Feb 21, 2015 · $50,000 damage
Flooding25Feb 2025Mar 4, 2015 · $20,000 damage
High winds4Mar 2025Mar 16, 2025 · $10,000 damage
Lightning casualties & damage3Jun 2015Jun 14, 2015 · $5,000 damage
Extreme cold & wind chill2Jan 2026—
Ice storms & sleet2Feb 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 Western Greenbrier forecast zone and Greenbrier County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Rainelle?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KRLX (Charleston, WV), about 57 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 RainelleView
KRLX
Charleston, WV		57 mi west-northwest4,200 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KFCX
Blacksburg, VA		71 mi south-southeast5,800 ftGood — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KJKL
Jackson, KY		141 mi west16,500 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 Rainelle

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 11 tornadoes within 25 miles of Rainelle, 5 of them EF2/F2 or stronger. Most came in April and March. The strongest was an F3 on April 4, 1974, which passed about 4 miles south-southeast of town and caused 1 death. The most recent was an EF2 on April 2, 2024, which passed about 11 miles northwest of town.

Hail: 120 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955, 8 of them 2 inches or more; the largest was 3.00-inch hail on June 16, 1998.

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 Rainelle'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.

Rainelle radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Rainelle, WV?

KRLX (Charleston, WV), about 57 miles west-northwest. KFCX (Blacksburg, VA) is 71 miles away and also covers the area.

Does radar show snow in Rainelle?

Yes. TALON colors snow blue, a rain–snow mix pink and freezing rain purple using NOAA's precipitation-type analysis. Over Rainelle the lowest scan from KRLX is about 4,200 ft up.

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

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