Chiang Mai Rain Radar - Live Weather Map | RainViewer
Track rain across Chiang Mai in real time with RainViewer, a hyperlocal rain radar app, updated every 5 minutes, street by street.
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Track up to 20 locations
Home, office, kids' school - all at once, no switching tabs.
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Alerts for each of them
Get notified 15 minutes before rain - while you can still change your plans.
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Widgets on your home screen
Live radar without opening the app - on your lock screen or home screen.
Free to download * Essential from $0.83 * Prices vary by region and promotions.
Rain in Chiang Mai: What You Need to Know
Rain in Chiang Mai builds quietly through the afternoon before dropping hard in short, concentrated bursts. The mountains surrounding the city shape every storm - weather that looks clear on a wide-area forecast can be sitting heavy over the Doi Suthep ridge while the old city is dry, or vice versa. The basin effect traps moisture and can intensify local cells, so a passing storm in July can deliver 60-80mm before the clouds clear.
For anyone planning a day trip to Doi Inthanon, a trek in the national parks, or a ride up the mountain roads toward Pai, knowing which side of the ridge the rain is on changes everything. The mountain roads - Route 1095, Route 108, Route 1269 - are genuinely dangerous when wet: narrow, no barriers, steep drops. A clear sky in Chiang Mai city can mean a flooded road 10km uphill.
RainViewer shows you the storm structure across the Ping River valley in real time, at the resolution that distinguishes rain on the western slopes from rain in the moat district.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Chiang Mai
RainViewer combines radar signals from stations across northern Thailand for Chiang Mai. From here, the same map shows rain developing in Lamphun, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son - useful if you're driving mountain roads toward Pai or Doi Inthanon. Note that deep mountain terrain in the west creates some radar shadow zones at high elevation.
Wet season (June-September)
The southwest monsoon establishes from late May, but June is when the rains become reliable. July through September are the wettest months, with occasional multi-day events triggered by tropical disturbances tracking across Indochina. Flooding of the moat roads and low-lying riverside areas is a documented seasonal occurrence.
Shoulder months (May and October)
May storms start early and catch tourists off-guard after the dry, smoky season. October is the tail of the wet season - often still producing significant rain well into the month. Real-time radar is more useful than any 7-day outlook.
Dry season (November-April)
Little to no rain. The famous cool season runs November to February. April is Songkran - traditionally the hottest and driest month, though convective showers occasionally develop by late afternoon.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Chiang Mai
Planning a Doi Inthanon or national park day trip
Rain at the summit of Doi Inthanon can arrive two hours before it reaches Chiang Mai city below. Checking the mountain radar before a morning departure shows whether the summit is in cloud and rain or if the cell is tracking elsewhere.
Timing a motorbike or scooter ride on mountain roads
Route 1095 to Pai involves 762 curves. In wet conditions, the road becomes genuinely treacherous. Seeing the rain band’s position before departure can mean the difference between a clear morning window and waiting until afternoon.
Managing trekking departures
Tour operators and independent trekkers need to know if afternoon rain will hit during descent - when trails are most dangerous. A 2-hour forecast gives enough lead time to adjust pace or route.
Protecting outdoor market setups
The Sunday Walking Street on Wualai Road, the Saturday Night Market, and dozens of evening markets depend on dry weather. A developing cell visible on the radar 45 minutes before it arrives gives vendors time to cover goods.
Protecting riverside restaurants and accommodation
Low-lying areas along the Ping River - around Chang Klan Road - are known flood zones during heavy August and September events. Seeing a high-intensity cell stalling upstream gives enough lead time to move valuables.
Chiang Mai Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How often does the RainViewer map update for Chiang Mai?
Every 5 minutes. During the afternoon storm build-up window typical of Chiang Mai's wet season, you're seeing conditions as close to real-time as any public source provides.
- Why does it rain on one side of Doi Suthep but not the other?
The Doi Suthep-Pui massif creates an orographic effect - moist air rises, cools, and condenses on the windward side, while the leeward side stays drier. RainViewer’s street-level resolution shows exactly where the rain boundary sits.
- Can I set a rain alert for a trekking departure point outside Chiang Mai?
Yes. Set any location - a trailhead, a mountain viewpoint, a specific village - and receive a push notification when rain is approaching with enough lead time to adjust plans.
- Is Chiang Mai's rainy season worth avoiding for travel?
Not entirely. Mornings are almost always workable, and the afternoon storm window is usually 2-4 hours. Tourists who check the radar before planning outdoor activities rarely lose a full day.
Track Rain in Chiang Mai in Real Time
See the storm on the ridge before it reaches the valley
Chiang Mai's rain is fast, terrain-shaped, and impossible to predict from a weekly forecast. The map updates every 5 minutes - often 2-5 minutes faster than other apps - so by the time a cell is crossing the Doi Suthep ridge, you've already seen it coming.
RainViewer Essential gives you:
A 2-hour rain forecast in 5-minute slices
Not hourly blocks, so you can see the exact window when the storm clears the ridge and the mountain road or trail is safe again.
Rain alerts that trigger before rain arrives
Set your trailhead, guesthouse, or market stall and get notified while you can still change your plans.
Direction arrows on the map
So even when the animation is unclear, you can see whether the cell is moving into the valley or tracking north toward Chiang Rai.
48 hours of radar history
See how yesterday's storm built over the western slopes and recognise the same pattern forming today.
Multiple locations
Track rain at Doi Inthanon summit, your Nimman hotel, and the Route 1095 mountain section at the same time.
A 7-day forecast tells you July will be wet. RainViewer tells you whether the ridge is clear enough to leave for Pai now or wait two hours.
Track rain in Chiang Mai - free
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