Animated Rain Background Effect with Pure CSS

Adding a dynamic background to your website can dramatically enhance the visual experience for visitors. One impressive example is a CSS rain background effect — a fully animated background that mimics the appearance of falling rain using nothing but pure CSS.

In this post, we’ll break down how this effect works, how it’s structured, and why it’s a great option if you’re looking to create a moody or tech-inspired visual for your page.

How This Rain Animation Works

At first glance, it looks like green rain is falling diagonally across a black background, much like the digital rain from classic sci-fi themes. This illusion is created using carefully placed radial gradients that repeat over a large area and are animated to move in a specific direction.

A container element is positioned to fill the entire screen. Within it, a pseudo-element (before the container) holds the actual animation. This layer is rotated to give the falling lines a slanted, diagonal direction, making the rain feel more natural and stylized.

The green drops are generated using radial gradients layered across the background. Each “raindrop” is a soft blur of green fading into transparency. These gradients are repeated at different coordinates and sizes, simulating a scattered rainfall pattern.

Infinite Loop and Smooth Animation

The entire animation is driven by a slow, continuous motion applied to the background position. Over time, the raindrop gradients move from the top of the screen to far beyond the bottom, giving the impression of endless falling rain.

Because the animation is linear and loops infinitely, it provides a smooth, uninterrupted experience. This makes it ideal for dark-themed websites, programming portfolios, digital art galleries, or any space where a cyber or ambient atmosphere is needed.

Visual Style and Mood

The black background combined with the green radial lines gives this effect a futuristic look — something you’d associate with terminal interfaces or sci-fi films. It’s subtle enough to be used in the background without distracting users from the main content but bold enough to set a unique tone.

It’s especially effective when paired with minimalist design elements like white or neon green text, simple layouts, or transparent UI elements. The motion creates depth and visual interest, all without relying on images or video files.

Why Use This CSS Rain Background?

• No JavaScript Required: This effect is built entirely with CSS, which means faster loading and no extra script dependencies.

• Customizable: You can adjust the color, speed, angle, or density of the rain by modifying gradient values or keyframe positions.

• Performance-Friendly: Because it uses lightweight gradients and animation, it performs well even on lower-end devices.

• Aesthetic Appeal: Perfect for tech-themed, dark, or futuristic website designs where you want to set a certain mood.

Final Thoughts

This animated rain background is a creative way to breathe life into your website with a visual that feels modern, smooth, and immersive. Whether you’re designing a personal portfolio, a landing page, or a themed section of your site, this effect delivers a high-impact result with minimal code.

You can see a live preview of the effect above this post and even tweak it using the code editor provided. Adjust the colors, speed, or layout to make it fit your project’s vibe.

Let us know if you’d like a version of this effect with stars, neon trails, or other background animations — we’re happy to write about it next.