US Doppler Radar – United States Weather Radar Map & Live Loop
Real-time interactive US Doppler weather radar loop, live USA weather map, current precipitation, dual-polarization storm tracking, and NWS severe alerts across the United States.
🚨 Live NWS Severe Weather Alerts
Real-time watches, warnings, and emergency advisories issued by the National Weather Service across the United States.
Alerts feed: checking live data from the National Weather Service…
Popular US Weather Cities & Local Radar
Click any city to load its live forecast and instantly focus the radar map on that metropolitan area.
Radar Tools & Meteorological Reference
Essential utilities for understanding storm reflectivity, temperature conversion, and air quality.
📡 Radar Reflectivity Scale (dBZ)
Standard NEXRAD precipitation intensity scale:
🌡️ Temperature Converter
Fast conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius:
🌿 US Air Quality Index (AQI)
EPA standard health risk categories:
🔗 Official Storm Authorities
Authoritative United States forecasting centers:
Major NOAA NEXRAD Radar Sites (WSR-88D)
Click any radar station to view its official high-resolution base reflectivity and radial velocity on radar.weather.gov.
How to Use Live Weather Radar in the United States
Weather surveillance radar (Doppler WSR-88D) is the primary remote sensing technology used by meteorologists to detect precipitation, storm structure, and tornado rotation across the United States in real time.
Searching by City or 5-Digit ZIP
Enter any US city name or 5-digit ZIP code in the search bar. The interactive radar map automatically pans and zooms into your exact coordinates, while calculating local temperature, real-feel index, humidity, wind gusts, real-time US AQI, sunrise, sunset, and 7-day outlook.
Safer Severe Weather Planning
Look at precipitation movement speed and storm trajectory 30 to 90 minutes ahead of outdoor travel.
Whenever strong red/purple storm cores appear, verify if an active NWS Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect.
Clear skies can still carry high ozone or fine particulates (PM2.5) during summer heat waves or wildfire seasons.
Check precise sunrise, solar noon, and sunset calculated for your specific geographical latitude and longitude.
Base Reflectivity vs. Composite Reflectivity
When tracking storms across the United States, understanding the difference between base and composite Doppler radar modes is vital for accurate decision making:
- Base Reflectivity (0.5° Tilt): Scans precipitation closest to ground level. This gives the most accurate picture of actual rain or snowfall reaching the surface right now.
- Composite Reflectivity (Full Volume Scan): Displays the highest reflectivity detected across all elevation angles. Meteorologists rely on composite radar to detect aloft hail cores, intense updrafts, and developing supercells before heavy rain reaches the ground.
Dual Polarization Radar Live: NOAA NEXRAD Technology Explained
The US NEXRAD network features Dual-Polarization radar technology. By transmitting both horizontal and vertical wave pulses, the radar measures both the width and height of airborne targets in real time. This allows the system to clearly distinguish between rain, hail, snow, sleet, and lofted storm debris (Tornado Debris Signatures / TDS) on the live United States weather map.
Continuous Motion & NOAA Full Resolution Loop
For continuous motion tracking and high-resolution storm loops over the past 2 hours, explore our dedicated Live National Radar Loop Map (NOAA Full Loop). To ensure your household receives alerts during overnight power blackouts, we recommend keeping an active NOAA emergency weather alert radio on hand.
⚡ Recommended Severe Weather & Storm Preparedness Gear
Essential NOAA all-hazard emergency alert radios, home weather stations, and blackout backup power systems to protect your family during severe weather.
Midland WR120B NOAA Emergency Weather Alert Radio
Public Alert certified with S.A.M.E. county-specific codes. Automatically sounds an 85dB siren when NWS Tornado or Flash Flood warnings are issued, waking you even when asleep.
- ✓ 7 NOAA weather channels + S.A.M.E.
- ✓ Loud 85 dB emergency alert siren
- ✓ AA Battery backup during power failure
Midland ER310 Solar & Hand Crank Emergency Radio
The ultimate disaster radio featuring multiple emergency power sources: solar panel, hand crank dynamo, and rechargeable battery. Includes a built-in USB power bank to charge phones.
- ✓ Solar panel & hand crank charging
- ✓ 2600 mAh USB smartphone power bank
- ✓ Cree LED flashlight + SOS beacon
Ambient Weather WS-2902 WiFi Smart Weather Station
All-in-one wireless outdoor sensor array measuring real-time wind speed, gusts, rainfall rate, UV index, solar radiation, and barometric pressure directly on your phone.
- ✓ Real-time wind speed & rain gauge
- ✓ Solar powered wireless sensor array
- ✓ Connects to AmbientWeather & Wunderground
Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 300
Clean, whisper-quiet emergency power station for hurricane and thunderstorm blackouts. Powers medical CPAP devices, radios, laptops, phones, and emergency LED lights safely indoors.
- ✓ 293Wh high-capacity lithium battery
- ✓ 2x 300W Pure Sine Wave 110V AC outlets
- ✓ Solar panel rechargeable & zero emissions
Live US Doppler Radar Loop, Rain Map & Regional Radar
The interactive map above is a live US Doppler radar loop: the current US radar loop animates precipitation frames from NOAA NEXRAD stations, with new frames every 5 to 10 minutes and a 2-hour history, while the national NOAA mosaic refreshes every 2 minutes. It is the same live USA weather radar loop whether you open it here or on our dedicated National Radar Loop page.
Live US Rain Radar Map
The map doubles as a live US rain radar map. On the rain map of the USA, green means light rain, yellow and orange mean moderate to heavy rain, and red and purple mean severe downpours or hail. Search any city or 5-digit ZIP code to see the live rain radar for your area.
US Radar by Region: East Coast, Central US, Southern US & West
One national map covers every region of the country. Pan and zoom the live US radar to the East Coast (Northeast Corridor and Florida & Southeast), the Central US (Midwest & Ohio Valley and Central Plains), the Southern US (Texas & Gulf Coast and the Southeast), or the Western US (West Coast & California). The National Radar Loop page has one-click region buttons for each of these areas, and its loop is built from the official NWS radar mosaic, so the regional views use the same trusted National Weather Service data as the national view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Doppler radar operation, update frequencies, and severe weather warnings.