Watauga County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Watauga County, NC right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 891 alerts that included Watauga County, roughly 89 a year. The most common is the wind advisory (162 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on September 26, 2024. 4 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 Watauga County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Caldwell County, Johnson County, Wilkes County, Ashe County.
Watauga County alert history
Alert events that included Watauga County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Advisory | 162 | 6 | October 10, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 121 | 14 | October 11, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 103 | 4 | March 16, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 86 | 6 | October 10, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 56 | 2 | October 11, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 49 | 5 | July 28, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 42 | 1 | August 3, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 41 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 33 | 5 | February 7, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 30 | 0 | July 11, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 29 | 3 | February 22, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 26 | 5 | September 4, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 24 | 3 | October 18, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 20 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 15 | 2 | October 18, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 15 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 13 | 0 | October 11, 2024 |
| Tornado Watch | 10 | 0 | May 30, 2025 |
| Tornado Warning | 4 | 0 | September 26, 2024 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 4 | 2 | January 31, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 3 | 2 | January 31, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 3 | 0 | March 1, 2025 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | October 28, 2020 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 1 | 0 | March 1, 2025 |
Tornado history in Watauga County
4 tornadoes have been recorded in Watauga County since 1950, injuring 2 people. That ranks 87 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on September 25, 2024 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Watauga County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2023 | EF1 | Avery County | 3 mi | 35 yd | 0 | 0 |
| September 25, 2024 | EF1 | Watauga County | 0.6 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 20, 1996 | F1 | Watauga County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 2 |
| June 3, 1998 | F0 | Watauga County | 2 mi | 60 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 25, 2024 | EF1 | Watauga County | 0.6 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 14, 2023 | EF1 | Avery County | 3 mi | 35 yd | 0 | 0 |
| June 3, 1998 | F0 | Watauga County | 2 mi | 60 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 20, 1996 | F1 | Watauga County | 0.1 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 2 |
About Watauga County
- Population: 54,997 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Carolina
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 037189 (how to use it)