We’re transitioning our API services throughout 2025 to focus on delivering the best precipitation forecasting through our Rain Viewer iOS and Android apps. This was not an easy decision for us, and we understand it impacts the amazing projects you’ve built. Below are answers to common questions about these changes. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to email us at support@rainviewer.com (or use our contact form) - we’re here to help.
We’re a small team of 11 passionate engineers at MeteoLab Inc., and every decision we make is driven by our mission to create the most accurate precipitation forecast possible. Over the years, we’ve seen how much you’ve accomplished with our API - from educational projects to innovative weather applications - and we’re truly inspired by your creativity.
However, maintaining multiple API endpoints while pushing the boundaries of weather prediction requires resources we simply don’t have as a small team. By focusing our efforts on our consumer apps, we can invest more deeply in the core forecasting algorithms and data processing that benefit everyone. This difficult decision allows us to deliver breakthrough improvements in prediction accuracy that wouldn’t be possible if we continued to split our focus.
We’re committed to keeping some level of data access available for the community. Starting January 1, 2026, you’ll still have access to:
While more limited than before, these resources ensure that personal projects and educational use cases can continue.
We know this significantly impacts projects that relied on historical single radar data. If your project specifically needs this data, please reach out to us at support@rainviewer.com (or use our contact form) - we may be able to suggest alternative approaches. Also, pay attention to the data sources - many of them became open over the past couple of years.
After the transition, only tiled past radar data maps will be available for personal or educational use on the same enpoints. satellite and nowcast sections will not return any frames but still be in the JSON api responses for compatability. If your application requires higher zoom levels or commercial use, contact us to discuss alternative solutions.
Our Patreon supporters have been incredible - you’ve helped us improve our infrastructure and expand our radar coverage over the years. We’re ending Patreon support on December 31, 2025, because we want to be transparent: we can no longer provide the level of API service that justifies your financial support.
Patrons will experience minimal service degradation. Here’s what this means:
What we’re doing for you:
Your support has been invaluable in getting us to where we are today.
The closed beta API will be discontinued on September 1, 2025. If you were part of our beta program, thank you for your feedback and testing - it directly improved our products. We’ll be reaching out to beta users individually to discuss migration options.
Yes, for personal and educational projects! After January 1, 2026, you’ll have access to:
If you’re building something commercial or need more comprehensive data, we’d love to hear about your project. While we can’t offer the same API access, we might be able to suggest alternative approaches or partnerships.
We’re committed to maintaining the highest quality possible for the remaining services. However, we want to be honest: as a small team with limited resources, our apps will receive priority for infrastructure improvements and monitoring.
What this means for you:
Your private patron endpoints will continue to be available until July 1, 2026, giving you additional time to transition. However, starting January 1, 2026, these endpoints will be limited to displaying only past radar data with 10-minute intervals.
Timeline for private endpoints:
Your custom color scheme will be available until January 1, 2026. After that date, all data will be returned using the only available color scheme: Universal Blue.
Timeline for custom color schemes:
We understand that people and projects matter. If you need additional time to transition your application or have special circumstances, please write to us at support@rainviewer.com and we’ll figure something out together. We’re committed to helping our community through this transition.
We’re here for you throughout this transition. Here’s how to get support:
While we’re scaling back our API offerings, we’re more excited than ever about the future of weather prediction. The resources we’re redirecting will help us:
You’re part of our story. The projects you’ve built with our API, the feedback you’ve provided, and the creative ways you’ve used weather data have inspired many of the improvements in our apps. We hope you’ll continue this journey with us through our consumer applications.
Don’t hesitate to reach out at support@rainviewer.com (or use our contact form). We read every email and are committed to helping you through this transition.
Thank you for being part of the Rain Viewer community. Your creativity, feedback, and support have shaped who we are today. While this transition marks the end of one chapter, we’re excited about the innovations ahead and look forward to continuing to serve you through our apps.
