San Francisco Digital Sky
Weather
Sources & detail
3D clouds and rain effects are estimated from observations.
Radar colours show estimated precipitation rates: <2.5, 2.5–7.5, 7.5–20, 20–50 and ≥50 mm/h. Rates are radar-derived estimates; station rainfall is an hourly accumulation. Nearby measurements may come from different stations.
Details
Satellite conditions guide simulated 3D clouds.
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GOES-West · NOAA ABI cloud products
Cloud detail and motion are simulated. Latest updates every 5 min; recorded days stay fixed.
Advanced
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Observed image · estimated 3D clouds
NOAA / NESDIS · observed imagery
GOES-West observations ↗Camera position & nearby views
Virtual sky views of the same simulated weather.
Solar radiation
A dynamic estimate from the same cloud field shown in the sky and cameras. Colours follow cloud cover, building shadows and the angle of each surface.
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Modelled W/m², not measured San Francisco irradiance. Includes direct-sun shadows from loaded buildings; distant shadows are coarser. Diffuse light and reflections are simplified. Model details
Scene & settings
Explore the Pacific sky over San Francisco—from the Golden Gate to the downtown skyline.
Display & movement
Connecting satellite imagery…
- Mapped region
- San Francisco & Bay
- Building footprints
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- Sky cameras
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- Tree inventory
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- Terrain
- 5 m source · 25 m display
- Rendering
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177,022 mapped buildings from 2010 LiDAR statistics, 2023 USGS terrain and streamed Mapbox satellite imagery form the city. Salesforce Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid use approximate landmark models. Current DataSF street-tree locations guide vegetation; canopy shapes are estimated. The basemap is recorded imagery, not live weather. Building details and imagery dates vary.
Live weather combines NOAA MRMS radar, NWS station measurements and GOES-West cloud products. View the actual visible or infrared satellite image alongside the estimated 3D sky. Fine cloud shape, motion, cloud base and radiation are modeled. The 25 rooftop sky cameras are virtual views of the same weather field. Preset weather uses a cloud simulation with smooth playback.
An interactive model with stylized details, not a surveyed photorealistic digital twin.
