weather · the model over the view
Storms
Where thunderstorms can grow over the next days, and what will fall.
What it shows
Where thunderstorms can grow over the next days, and what will fall. The energy view shows CAPE, the energy rising air takes from the atmosphere: below about 300 J/kg storms struggle, above 1000 they can be strong, above 2500 severe; the readout adds the forecast precipitation rate at the same point and hour. The rain and snow view shows the forecast precipitation rate, and the readout says its type: rain, snow, freezing rain or ice pellets. The rain radar layer shows what is falling now; this one is the forecast.
Where the data comes from
NOAA GFS 0.25° global model (public domain), baked on our server every run; CAPE, precipitation rate and the categorical precipitation type on a 1° grid, every 3 hours ahead; values between grid points are interpolated, the type is read at the nearest category.
Reading the map
Energy: dark for stable air, teal around 300 J/kg, yellow at 1000, orange at 2000, red at 3000, violet above 4500. Rain and snow: dark for dry, blue for light rain (1 mm/h), green at 4, yellow at 10, orange at 25, magenta at 50 mm/h and more.
Units CAPE in J/kg; precipitation rate in mm/h.
For business
This map is free. LayEarth Business turns the same forecast into hail, road ice and wildfire smoke downwind for your field or site, by API or CSV.
Put this map on your site
Writing about it? Embed this live map: one iframe, free, no tracking, it stays up to date on its own.