Wilkes County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Wilkes County, NC right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 868 alerts that included Wilkes County, roughly 87 a year. The most common is the flood advisory (174 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on April 11, 2024. 12 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 Wilkes County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Yadkin County, Alexander County, Iredell County, Caldwell County.
Wilkes County alert history
Alert events that included Wilkes County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood Advisory | 174 | 20 | October 11, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 166 | 24 | September 5, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 80 | 5 | October 10, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 75 | 2 | March 16, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 67 | 5 | August 11, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 49 | 0 | November 22, 2025 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 46 | 2 | February 1, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 34 | 2 | October 11, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 32 | 7 | September 5, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 24 | 4 | October 18, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 21 | 0 | April 11, 2024 |
| Freeze Warning | 19 | 1 | April 21, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 15 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 14 | 0 | May 30, 2025 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 13 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 9 | 0 | November 1, 2023 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 6 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 6 | 0 | November 16, 2025 |
| High Wind Warning | 4 | 0 | April 1, 2023 |
| High Wind Watch | 4 | 1 | February 7, 2026 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 4 | 0 | November 16, 2025 |
| Heat Advisory | 4 | 3 | July 4, 2026 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | October 28, 2020 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 1 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 0 | 1 | January 31, 2026 |
Tornado history in Wilkes County
12 tornadoes have been recorded in Wilkes County since 1950, injuring 4 people. That ranks 55 of 100 counties in North Carolina. The most recent was on September 26, 2024 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Wilkes County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 1973 | F1 | Wilkes County | 32.3 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 3 |
| October 23, 2017 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 8.6 mi | 275 yd | 0 | 1 |
| October 8, 2017 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 7.1 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 4, 1977 | F1 | Wilkes County | 6.4 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 11, 2024 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 6 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 26, 2024 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 0.4 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 11, 2024 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 6 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 17, 2021 | EF0 | Wilkes County | 0.7 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
| August 17, 2021 | EF0 | Wilkes County | 0.7 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| October 23, 2017 | EF1 | Wilkes County | 8.6 mi | 275 yd | 0 | 1 |
About Wilkes County
- Population: 66,186 (2024 estimate)
- State: North Carolina
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 037193 (how to use it)