LOCATION · United States
New York City Weather Radar & Live Satellite Map
Is it raining or snowing in New York right now — and what's moving in?
New York City weather swings hard with the seasons — humid, thundery summers and cold winters punctuated by powerful coastal storms. Because the city sits where continental air meets the Atlantic, conditions can change fast, and live radar is the quickest way to know what's actually happening over the five boroughs.
Open the live map over New York and switch on Precip Radar and Cloud Imagery.
What to watch over NYC
- Summer thunderstorms — hot, humid afternoons often spark storms that show as bright orange and red cells on radar, sometimes with damaging wind.
- Nor'easters — the city's biggest weather events. These coastal storms approach from the southwest then intensify offshore; on satellite you'll see a large comma-shaped cloud mass wheeling up the coast.
- Lake and coastal effects — winter systems can flip between rain and heavy snow depending on a degree or two of temperature.
Reading the map for New York
Most weather reaches the city from the west and southwest, so a band of color to the left of the map usually means it's heading your way. Coastal storms are the exception — they often deepen to the south and east and then push back northwest into the metro area, which is why the satellite view matters for spotting them early.
Beyond the forecast
NYC airspace is among the busiest on Earth. Overlay live flights during a storm to watch JFK, LaGuardia and Newark arrivals reroute and hold — a vivid picture of how weather ripples through the system.
Open the live map and center on New York, or learn the color scale in How to Read Weather Radar.
Frequently asked questions
Is it raining in New York right now?
Open the LEV live map over NYC and switch on Precip Radar. Green and yellow over the five boroughs means rain is falling now; press play on the time bar to see whether it is clearing or building.
What is a nor'easter?
A nor'easter is a powerful coastal storm that tracks up the US East Coast, drawing in strong northeasterly winds. For New York it can mean heavy rain, blizzards, coastal flooding and high winds, often in late autumn through early spring.
SEE IT LIVE
Everything in this guide is on one real-time map.