Rainfall Totals shows how much rain has actually fallen on any spot on the map - across the past 1, 3, 12, 24, or 48 hours, measured by weather radar. It is not a forecast and not a satellite estimate; the meteorological name for this kind of data is QPE, or Quantitative Precipitation Estimation. If you have ever wanted to know whether last night’s storm dumped 5 mm or 50 mm on your street, open Map Layers and tap Rainfall Totals (QPE) under Extended Tools.
What Rainfall Totals (QPE) actually measures
Rainfall Totals shows accumulated rainfall over a rolling time window, computed from the live weather radar feed - the same source you already use for the regular precipitation layer in Rain Viewer. Every radar scan is converted into a per-pixel rainfall rate in millimeters, and those rates are then summed over the window you pick. The result is a heatmap of how much rain has reached the ground in each location.
Two things it is not. It is not a forecast - there is no model predicting future rain in this layer. It is also not a satellite estimate that infers rainfall from cloud-top temperatures. QPE is a direct measurement from ground-based weather radar, the same family of data the National Weather Service publishes for the US as Stage IV QPE.
If you are new to how weather radar works in the first place, our introduction to reading weather radar images is a good starting point.
Where to find it in Rain Viewer
Open the Map Layers panel from the layers icon in the lower-right corner of the map. Scroll down to the Extended Tools section and tap Rainfall Totals (QPE). It sits right next to Radar and Satellite and Satellite Plus, with a purple-to-pink icon that hints at the color scale you will see on the map.
Pick a window: 1h, 3h, 12h, 24h, or 48h
Each time window is a rolling window ending at the latest radar scan, not a fixed clock period. If you tap 24h at 7:00 PM today, the map shows everything that fell from 7:00 PM yesterday onward. Shorter windows highlight individual storm cells; longer windows show how much weather a whole multi-day event has delivered.
The window button lives in the lower-left corner of the map. Change it as often as you like - the layer recomputes instantly.
Tap any spot for the exact amount
Tap any colored area and Rain Viewer shows a three-line readout: the measured total, the intensity class (Trace through Extreme), and the exact time window the total covers. In the example below, a tap on the US East Coast returns 3.33 inch / Very heavy total / 7:00 PM yesterday - 7:00 PM today.
Units follow your device locale. Phones set to a metric region show millimeters; phones set to the US or UK customary system show inches. The number itself is the actual measured total at that pixel, not an interpolation.
Reading the colors
The color scale runs from light blue through deep purple in six classes - Trace, Light, Moderate, Heavy, Very heavy, and Extreme - over a continuous underlying gradient. The same six classes are used for every window, but the thresholds scale with the window length. The values below are the defaults for a 48-hour window.
| Class | Threshold (48h, default scale) |
|---|---|
| Trace | < 0.08 in / < 2 mm |
| Light | 0.08 in / 2 mm |
| Moderate | 0.59 in / 15 mm |
| Heavy | 1.57 in / 40 mm |
| Very heavy | 3.15 in / 80 mm |
| Extreme | 5.91 in / 150 mm |
A solid purple region on a 48h map is a region that has seen genuinely heavy rain. A solid purple region on a 1h map is a place that just took a downpour.
Who it’s for
Anyone who needs to know how much rain has actually landed - not how much was predicted, and not what a single weather station happened to catch. A few common cases:
- After a downpour, driving home. Was that flooded underpass really three inches, or are you remembering it bigger? A quick tap on the map answers the question. Pair it with our guide to tracking heavy rain and flood risks on radar if the storm is still active.
- Farmers and growers. Skip irrigation when last night’s storm already delivered the day’s water. Run the 24h or 48h window over your fields before you turn on the pivots.
- Hikers and outdoor planners. Check trail and river conditions after multi-day rain before committing to a route. Saturated ground, swollen creeks, and washed-out trails follow rainfall totals, not the forecast.
- Gardeners and homeowners. Water the lawn based on what fell, not on what someone on TV predicted. The 24h total over your address is the most honest answer there is.
Coverage and availability
Coverage matches the live radar layer in Rain Viewer - if you can see live precipitation on the map at a location, you can also see Rainfall Totals there. That covers most of the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and a growing list of other regions. Outside radar coverage, the layer simply does not draw - there is no underlying data to sum.
Rainfall Totals is a premium feature, included with both Essential and Pro subscriptions. There is no additional charge on top of your existing plan. You can browse the full list of premium layers on the premium features page , or check the radar coverage map for your region.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rainfall Totals a forecast? No. It shows accumulated rainfall from past radar scans only. For predicted rain in the coming hours and days, use the regular Forecast layer in Rain Viewer.
Why are my totals different from a nearby weather station? Weather radar measures rainfall in the air column above the surface and converts it to a per-pixel estimate. A rain gauge measures exactly one spot on the ground. Both are correct - they answer slightly different questions, and small differences between them are normal, especially under heavy or windy storms.
What does QPE mean? QPE stands for Quantitative Precipitation Estimation - the meteorological term for radar-derived rainfall totals. It is the same family of data the US National Weather Service publishes as Stage IV QPE.
Does it work everywhere? Only where the live radar layer has coverage. Check the coverage map before traveling if you plan to rely on it.
Does it cost extra? No. Rainfall Totals is included with the Essential and Pro subscriptions - no add-on or upgrade required.
Open Rain Viewer and tap the layers icon to try Rainfall Totals (QPE) today.
