Radar: These computer-generated images depict where rain, thunderstorms, and/or snow are occurring over a geographical map of the area selected. By using the color scale, the radar indicates how intense the precipitation, rain or snow, is falling and where thunderstorms may be occurring.

Watch Boxes are included on regional maps including Central Texas, Texas and US. (We DO NOT include them on county-level maps because the entire county may fall within a watch box area and yet the box may not be visible on that map due to it being much larger than the county radar image.) Yellow boxes indicate Thunderstorm Watches. Red boxes indicate Tornado Watches. You can find a complete list of watches and warnings for our coverage area here.

Radar modes:
NOWRAD stands for NOWcasting of precipitation with RADar. This is a collection or composite image of multiple National Weather Service radar site images. Meteorologists at our weather data provider correct or "clean up" each composite image, removing ground clutter and other anomolous returns, before issuing the product once every 15 minutes.

The AUSTIN NOWRAD updates every 10 minutes when there is no severe weather. The COUNTY NOWRAD updates every 15 minutes during non-severe weather situations.

NEXRAD, or NEXt Generation RADar, shows a single radar site.

Our AUSTIN and COUNTY radar views switch to NEXRAD during severe weather situations, providing the very latest images out of the National Weather Service radar in New Braunfels without any delay due to corrections or processing. During any severe weather event, the images may update from the NWS as often as every five minutes. During times of no or light precepitation, updates come every six to 10 minutes.

CENTEX, or Central Texas, TEXAS and UNITED STATES NOWRAD views are composite radar images from radar sites across the region, state and country. For example, the TEXAS composite image features a combination of radar sites in Texas, including New Braunfels, Fort Worth, Granger, Lubbock, San Angelo, Del Rio, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Houston and Longview. The update for these images comes every 15 minutes.

Clicking on the CENTEX Past 24 Hours tab shows you a radar loop of the last 24 hours from over the area. You'll see any showers or thunderstorms that developed, including their intensity. This loop updates every 15 minutes.

Satellite: These images show you where it is cloudy and where it is clear.

SATRAD, or Satellite and Radar, offers three views of composite radar and sattelite imagery. Satellite pictures are infrared views of Central Texas, Texas and the United States. When you click on the ANIMATE tab, you will see the last four hours in a loop. These images update once every 30 minutes. The radar colors should be interpreted in the following manner:
1. Light Green = Light Rain
2. Dark Green = Moderate Rain
3. Yellow/Orange = Heavy Rain
4. Red = Heavy Rain with possible Hail; Thunder is also possible.

Visible Satellites are detailed photographs of the earth that allow meteorologists to investigate cloud cover, look for snowfall, and see bodies of water or other big objects near the ground (when the sky's clear!). Areas of white indicate clouds with the brighter white shades denote thicker clouds. A light haze or white milky look many times means thin, wispy clouds of ice are present. This view is similar to what you would see if you were looking back at earth from space. When the sun isn't shining on this part of the world, images don't update. This product updates every 15 minutes during the day, and you can view the last four hours in the animated loop.

Infrared Satellite images help meteorologists see various types of cloud cover by assessing temperature differences between land and what's in the air. Gray shades indicate lower clouds with warm cloud tops. The bright white shades show the higher clouds with the colder cloud tops. Colder cloud tops often reflect tall thunderstorms. Because this imagery is "false" -- created by a computer -- this product updates every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. You can view the last four hours in the animated loop.

Water Vapor images show the presence of water in the gas form between 22,000 and 35,000 feet above the earth's surface. The brighter white color indicates areas of moisture. Black depicts neutral. Red shades would indicate very little, if any, middle- and upper-level moisture and, therefore, a dry area of air. When you see shades of red over Central Texas, it normally means plenty of sunshine. The Water Vapor image updates every 30 minutes. The loop shows the last four hours of imagery.