World cloud cover map
This layer shows total cloud cover, the share of the sky covered by cloud of any height, from 0 percent for a clear sky to 100 percent for a full overcast. The values are forecast by the NOAA GFS model on a 0.25 degree grid.
The more opaque the white, the thicker the cover. Hover or tap to read the percentage at one point. Keep in mind that the value says how much of the sky is covered, not whether it will rain; the rain layer answers that question.
Several shapes are easy to spot. Long comma-shaped bands mark fronts attached to storm systems at mid-latitudes. A belt of cloud near the equator follows the zone where warm air rises. Large clear areas sit over the subtropical deserts and the high-pressure zones over the oceans.
Each model run gives 48 hours of forecast in 3-hour steps, and there are four runs a day. Drag the slider to see cloud bands move east, or press play and watch a whole system cross an ocean in a few seconds.