Rutherford County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Rutherford County, NC right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 970 alerts that included Rutherford County, roughly 97 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (300 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on March 16, 2026. 10 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Rutherford County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Cleveland County, Polk County, Spartanburg County, Buncombe County.
Rutherford County alert history
Alert events that included Rutherford County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 300 | 33 | September 6, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 90 | 4 | August 27, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 83 | 12 | October 11, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 79 | 4 | October 10, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 51 | 2 | October 10, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 48 | 4 | November 9, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 41 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 40 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 39 | 5 | October 11, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 34 | 0 | November 11, 2025 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 30 | 5 | September 6, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 21 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 19 | 0 | December 29, 2024 |
| Flood Warning | 18 | 1 | October 11, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 14 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 13 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 11 | 2 | February 1, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 10 | 1 | March 28, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 9 | 3 | July 4, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 6 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 5 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 3 | 0 | September 25, 2024 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 3 | 0 | March 1, 2025 |
| Tropical Storm Watch | 2 | 0 | September 25, 2024 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 1 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
Tornado history in Rutherford County
10 tornadoes have been recorded in Rutherford County since 1950, injuring 10 people. That ranks 63 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on September 25, 2024 (rated EF0).
Strongest tornadoes in Rutherford County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 11, 2012 | EF2 | Rutherford County | 3.8 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 10 |
| May 18, 1975 | F2 | Rutherford County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| July 7, 2005 | F1 | Rutherford County | 0.7 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 18, 1975 | F1 | Rutherford County | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 24, 2000 | F0 | Rutherford County | 2 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2024 | EF0 | Rutherford County | 0.4 mi | 25 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 10, 2021 | EF0 | Rutherford County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 8, 2019 | EF0 | Rutherford County | 0.2 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
| January 11, 2012 | EF2 | Rutherford County | 3.8 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 10 |
| October 26, 2010 | EF0 | Rutherford County | 0.3 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Rutherford County
- Population: 65,587 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Carolina
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 037161 (how to use it)