diff --git a/app/public/app.js b/app/public/app.js
index 96fd2e5..ba947f7 100644
--- a/app/public/app.js
+++ b/app/public/app.js
@@ -170,6 +170,14 @@ async function flyToHurricane(storm) {
     if (cb) cb.checked = true;
   }
 
+  // Ground radar doesn't reach open ocean, so show infrared satellite (the storm's actual cloud
+  // structure). Goes through the layer checkbox so state and storage stay in sync.
+  const sat = document.querySelector('#tab-unified-map input[data-layer="satellite"]');
+  if (sat && !sat.checked) {
+    sat.checked = true;
+    sat.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
+  }
+
   await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 450));
 
   const map = mapsOverview.map;
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ async function flyToHurricane(storm) {
   // flyTo works regardless, so just make sure the canvas has its real size first.
   map.resize();
 
-  map.flyTo({ center: [lon, lat], zoom: 4, duration: 900 });
+  map.flyTo({ center: [lon, lat], zoom: 4, duration: 900, padding: { bottom: 200 } });
 
   setTimeout(() => {
     new maplibregl.Popup({ closeButton: true, maxWidth: '260px' })
@@ -230,7 +238,7 @@ async function flyToHurricane(storm) {
           const lats = allCoords.map(c => c[1]);
           map.fitBounds(
             [[Math.min(...lons), Math.min(...lats)], [Math.max(...lons), Math.max(...lats)]],
-            { padding: 60, duration: 600, maxZoom: 5 }
+            { padding: { top: 70, left: 50, right: 50, bottom: 260 }, duration: 600, maxZoom: 5 }
           );
         }
 
@@ -326,6 +334,33 @@ function mapReady(map, timeoutMs = 4000) {
   });
 }
 
+// Infrared satellite from NASA GIBS (GOES-West + GOES-East, newest image, no key). Unlike ground radar it
+// reaches open ocean, so a hurricane's cloud shield is visible. East draws over West where they overlap.
+const GOES_LAYERS = [['goes-west', 'GOES-West_ABI_Band13_Clean_Infrared'], ['goes-east', 'GOES-East_ABI_Band13_Clean_Infrared']];
+async function renderCloudOverlay(map) {
+  if (!map) return;
+  await mapReady(map);
+  const on = !!state.unifiedMapLayers.satellite;
+  const stamp = Math.floor(Date.now() / 600000); // GIBS updates ~every 10 min; bust the tile cache then
+  try {
+    GOES_LAYERS.forEach(([id, layer]) => {
+      if (!on) { if (map.getLayer(id)) map.setLayoutProperty(id, 'visibility', 'none'); return; }
+      if (map.getLayer(id)) { map.setLayoutProperty(id, 'visibility', 'visible'); }
+      else {
+        map.addSource(id, { type: 'raster', tileSize: 256, maxzoom: 6, attribution: 'NASA GIBS',
+          tiles: [`https://gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov/wmts/epsg3857/best/${layer}/default/GoogleMapsCompatible_Level6/{z}/{y}/{x}.png?t=${stamp}`] });
+        // sit under the animated radar frames so rain still reads on top of the clouds
+        const beforeId = map.getStyle().layers.find(l => l.id.startsWith('rv-radar-'))?.id;
+        map.addLayer({ id, type: 'raster', source: id, paint: { 'raster-opacity': 0.8, 'raster-fade-duration': 0 } }, beforeId);
+      }
+      if (map.__cloudStamp !== stamp && map.getSource(id)?.setTiles) {
+        map.getSource(id).setTiles([`https://gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov/wmts/epsg3857/best/${layer}/default/GoogleMapsCompatible_Level6/{z}/{y}/{x}.png?t=${stamp}`]);
+      }
+    });
+    if (on) map.__cloudStamp = stamp;
+  } catch { /* style swapped mid-update; next refresh retries */ }
+}
+
 async function renderHurricaneOverlay(map) {
   if (!map) return;
   const tok = (map.__hurrTok = (map.__hurrTok || 0) + 1); // a newer refresh supersedes this one
@@ -501,7 +536,7 @@ const state = {
   showExtendedForecast: false,
   unifiedMapLayers: {
     radar: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showRadarLayer) !== 'false',
-    satellite: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showSatelliteLayer) !== 'false',
+    satellite: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showSatelliteLayer) === 'true',
     lightning: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showLightningLayer) !== 'false',
     wind: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showWindLayer) !== 'false',
     aqi: localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEYS.showAqiLayer) !== 'false',
@@ -1367,6 +1402,7 @@ function refreshMapsOverview() {
   renderAlertMarker(state.currentCity);
   renderTempMarker(state.currentCity);
   renderSunMoonMarker(state.currentCity);
+  renderCloudOverlay(mapsOverview.map);
   renderHurricaneOverlay(mapsOverview.map);
   renderWildfireOverlay(mapsOverview.map);
   renderSPCOverlay(mapsOverview.map);
@@ -2574,15 +2610,7 @@ document.querySelectorAll('#tab-unified-map input[type="checkbox"][data-layer]')
       if (!enabled && unifiedMap?.stopPlay) unifiedMap.stopPlay();
     }
 
-    if (layerName === 'satellite') {
-      if (enabled) {
-        if (unifiedMapMode !== 'satellite') unifiedMapModeButton.click();
-        setCloudLayerVisible(true);
-      } else {
-        setCloudLayerVisible(false);
-        if (unifiedMapMode !== 'radar') unifiedMapModeButton.click();
-      }
-    }
+    if (layerName === 'satellite') renderCloudOverlay(mapsOverview.map);
 
     if (state.currentCity) refreshMapsOverview();
   });
diff --git a/app/public/index.html b/app/public/index.html
index 554fac3..b78cc99 100644
--- a/app/public/index.html
+++ b/app/public/index.html
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@
               </span>
             </label>
             <label class="toggle-control">
-              <span class="toggle-label">☁️ Clouds</span>
+              <span class="toggle-label">🛰 Satellite (IR)</span>
               <span class="switch-toggle">
                 <input type="checkbox" id="toggle-satellite" data-layer="satellite">
                 <span class="toggle-slider"></span>