View Radar Maps in macOS 13 Weather App

Yes, you can view radar maps directly inside the native Weather app on macOS 13 Ventura. With the release of macOS 13, Apple introduced a dedicated Mac Weather app that includes the full suite of interactive map features found on iOS. Users can easily access animated precipitation radar, view temperature distributions, and monitor air quality levels across different regions without relying on third-party software or websites.

How to Access Radar Maps on macOS 13

To view radar maps within the Weather app:

  1. Open the Weather app from your Applications folder, Launchpad, or via Spotlight search.
  2. Select the location you want to inspect from your saved list in the sidebar, or search for a new city.
  3. Scroll down in the main forecast window until you see the Precipitation map tile.
  4. Click anywhere on the map tile to open the expanded, full-screen interactive view.

Using the Interactive Radar

Once the full map is open, you can interact with the radar in several ways:

  • Playback Timeline: At the bottom of the map, click the Play button to view an animated loop of recent precipitation movement and forecasted storm paths. You can also drag the timeline slider manually to view specific times.
  • Switch Layers: Click the layer icon in the top-right corner to toggle between Precipitation, Temperature, and Air Quality overlays.
  • Navigate: Click and drag to pan across the map, or use trackpad pinch gestures (or the zoom buttons) to zoom in and out for street-level or regional views.
  • Location Switching: Use the sidebar on the left to quickly jump between your saved cities while keeping the radar map open.

Radar availability may vary slightly by country or region due to local meteorological data restrictions, but standard 12-hour precipitation forecasts are supported across most major territories. Make sure Location Services are enabled under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to get accurate local radar data automatically.