1. How to use these tools safely
Treat any map layer as general information. For storms, flooding, wind, or travel safety, follow official warnings and advice from your national or local meteorological service and emergency managers. Do not use this site for aviation, maritime, or wildfire operations.
If you see a striking pattern on screen, confirm it against text bulletins, warning polygons, and local emergency channels. A colorful overlay without context can be misread, especially near borders where radar coverage changes.
2. What NASA GIBS adds on Map search
GIBS (Global Imagery Browse Services) distributes science imagery from NASA that map developers can tile into web viewers. Our integration uses selected products for precipitation estimates and cloud-related imagery as exposed through that pipeline.
These layers are valuable for seeing large-scale patterns and training intuition about satellite-derived fields. They are still not a replacement for a meteorologist’s briefing or a certified aeronautical product.
3. Wind tiles and global models
The wind overlay uses GFS-based gridded data rendered as map tiles, then animated with a particle layer in the browser. GFS (Global Forecast System) is a well-known global model run by NOAA; like every model, it has systematic biases near mountains, coasts, and cities.
Use wind fields to understand general flow direction, not peak gusts at a single rooftop. Microscale winds require local observations and specialized forecasts.
4. Weather maps versus radar
Radar Maps describes precipitation radar loops available on Map search (third-party RainViewer composites). Model-style fields and radar images answer different questions; use both only as context, not as a single source of truth.
Radar tells you what the radar beam is reflecting now or very recently along its geometry; model tiles describe a numerically simulated atmosphere on a schedule. Comparing both can be educational, but neither is a warning product by itself.
5. Pairing with directions and satellite
Check conditions, then plan roads in Driving Directions. Road conditions (ice, closures) may not appear on weather overlays; verify with road authorities when needed.
Satellite basemaps show ground texture but not future rain; 3D helps with relief when wind exposure matters for outdoor plans. Stack tools deliberately instead of expecting one map to answer every question.