US radar and lightning map

Note on the map

This map is generated using ground radar measurements provided by NOAA. We update the map data every 15 minutes.

Radars scan the atmosphere at different levels by sending radio beams and analyzing how much was reflected back. High reflectivity means that the beam encountered a heavier object, such as hail or snow. Smaller reflectivity could be a light drizzle. In this map we present the quality controlled composite reflectivity, which combines the maximum reflectivity over all altitudes at each point.

The lightning layer shows the locations where lightning was recorded in the past 15 minutes.