Weather Alerts Map

Wake County weather alerts

1 warning is in effect for Wake County, NC. The most serious is a freeze warning.

Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,400 alerts that included Wake County, roughly 140 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (477 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on October 11, 2026. 40 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

Active alerts for Wake County

Freeze Warning

Durham; Franklin; Nash; Edgecombe; Chatham; Wake; Johnston; Wilson; Montgomery; Moore; Lee; Harnett; Wayne; Anson; Richmond; Scotland; Hoke; Cumberland; SampsonUntil · NWS Raleigh NC

FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM EST SUNDAY

Full alert text
* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s.

* WHERE...Portions of the North Carolina Piedmont, Sandhills, and
Coastal Plain.

* WHEN...From 1 AM to 8 AM EST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other
sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.

What to do: Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly.

Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Recent alerts in Wake County

IssuedAlertArea
Nov 14, 10:21 AM ESTFreeze WarningDurham; Franklin; Nash; Edgecombe; Chatham; Wake; Johnston; Wilson; Montgomery; Moore; Lee; Harnett; Wayne; Anson; Richmond; Scotland; Hoke;

Wake County alert history

Alert events that included Wake County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.

Alert type2016–20252026Last issued
Severe Thunderstorm Warning47762October 11, 2026
Flood Advisory27125November 6, 2026
Flash Flood Warning10510November 6, 2026
Heat Advisory7821September 4, 2026
Dense Fog Advisory7112November 5, 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Watch538September 5, 2026
Flood Watch502August 21, 2026
Frost Advisory414November 14, 2026
Tornado Watch353October 11, 2026
Wind Advisory311February 7, 2026
Flood Warning290August 6, 2025
Winter Weather Advisory293February 4, 2026
Freeze Warning271November 15, 2026
Tornado Warning245October 11, 2026
Freeze Watch161November 15, 2026
Red Flag Warning100December 29, 2025
Extreme Heat Warning101July 3, 2026
Cold Weather Advisory93February 2, 2026
Winter Storm Watch82January 30, 2026
Winter Storm Warning82January 30, 2026
Extreme Heat Watch50July 26, 2025
Tropical Storm Warning50September 29, 2022
Fire Weather Watch40November 16, 2025
High Wind Warning30February 16, 2025
Tropical Storm Watch10August 2, 2020
Extreme Cold Watch01February 1, 2026
Extreme Cold Warning01February 1, 2026

Tornado history in Wake County

40 tornadoes have been recorded in Wake County since 1950, killing 11 people and injuring 300. That ranks 8 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on August 3, 2024 (rated EF1).

EF0: 19EF019EF1: 12EF112EF2: 7EF27EF3: 1EF31EF4: 1EF41EF5: 0EF5
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Strongest tornadoes in Wake County

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
November 27, 1988F4Wake County83 mi400 yd4154
April 16, 2011EF3Moore County65.2 mi500 yd6103
November 2, 1966F2Harnett County64.5 mi77 yd09
May 13, 2019EF2Wake County17.2 mi385 yd00
April 5, 1952F2Wake County6.9 mi300 yd00

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
August 3, 2024EF1Wake County1.5 mi30 yd00
December 10, 2023EF1Wake County1.9 mi250 yd00
July 23, 2019EF0Wake County1.2 mi175 yd00
May 13, 2019EF2Wake County17.2 mi385 yd00
April 15, 2018EF1Wake County0.7 mi100 yd00

North Carolina tornado history and map →

About Wake County

Neighboring counties