diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live.ex b/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live.ex
index 124fe6b7..920fbb6e 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live.ex
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLive do
        selected_valid_time: nil,
        profile: nil,
        derived: nil,
-       svg: nil
+       svg: nil,
+       loading?: false
      )}
   end
 
@@ -52,8 +53,55 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLive do
     {:noreply, push_patch(socket, to: ~p"/skewt?#{params}")}
   end
 
+  @impl true
+  def handle_async(:load_skewt, {:ok, {:ok, result}}, socket) do
+    {:noreply,
+     assign(socket,
+       location: result.location,
+       error: nil,
+       valid_times: result.valid_times,
+       selected_valid_time: result.selected_valid_time,
+       profile: result.profile,
+       derived: result.derived,
+       svg: result.svg,
+       loading?: false
+     )}
+  end
+
+  def handle_async(:load_skewt, {:ok, {:error, reason}}, socket) do
+    {:noreply,
+     assign(socket,
+       location: nil,
+       error: reason,
+       valid_times: [],
+       selected_valid_time: nil,
+       profile: nil,
+       derived: nil,
+       svg: nil,
+       loading?: false
+     )}
+  end
+
+  def handle_async(:load_skewt, {:exit, reason}, socket) do
+    require Logger
+
+    Logger.warning("SkewtLive async exit: #{inspect(reason)}")
+
+    {:noreply,
+     assign(socket,
+       error: "Sorry, something went wrong loading this profile. Try again.",
+       loading?: false
+     )}
+  end
+
   # ── Refresh logic ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+  # The page chrome (header + search bar) renders synchronously on
+  # mount; everything else (geocoding, HRRR file/DB read, sounding
+  # parameter derivation, SVG render) lands via `:load_skewt` async.
+  # Repeated calls under the same key cancel any in-flight task, so
+  # rapid URL patches don't race.
+
   defp refresh(socket, "", _time) do
     assign(socket,
       query: "",
@@ -63,48 +111,45 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLive do
       selected_valid_time: nil,
       profile: nil,
       derived: nil,
-      svg: nil
+      svg: nil,
+      loading?: false
     )
   end
 
   defp refresh(socket, query, requested_time) do
+    socket
+    |> assign(
+      query: query,
+      error: nil,
+      loading?: true
+    )
+    |> start_async(:load_skewt, fn -> resolve_and_load(query, requested_time) end)
+  end
+
+  defp resolve_and_load(query, requested_time) do
     case SkewtLocationResolver.resolve(query) do
       {:ok, %{lat: lat, lon: lon} = location} ->
         valid_times = available_valid_times(lat, lon)
-
         chosen = pick_valid_time(valid_times, requested_time)
 
         {profile, derived, svg} =
           case chosen do
-            nil ->
-              {nil, nil, nil}
-
-            time ->
-              load_profile(time, lat, lon)
+            nil -> {nil, nil, nil}
+            time -> load_profile(time, lat, lon)
           end
 
-        assign(socket,
-          query: query,
-          location: location,
-          error: nil,
-          valid_times: valid_times,
-          selected_valid_time: chosen,
-          profile: profile,
-          derived: derived,
-          svg: svg
-        )
+        {:ok,
+         %{
+           location: location,
+           valid_times: valid_times,
+           selected_valid_time: chosen,
+           profile: profile,
+           derived: derived,
+           svg: svg
+         }}
 
       {:error, reason} ->
-        assign(socket,
-          query: query,
-          location: nil,
-          error: reason,
-          valid_times: [],
-          selected_valid_time: nil,
-          profile: nil,
-          derived: nil,
-          svg: nil
-        )
+        {:error, reason}
     end
   end
 
@@ -284,6 +329,13 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLive do
         </div>
       <% end %>
 
+      <%= if @loading? do %>
+        <div class="mt-4 flex items-center gap-3 text-sm opacity-80">
+          <span class="loading loading-spinner loading-sm"></span>
+          <span>Resolving location and loading HRRR profile…</span>
+        </div>
+      <% end %>
+
       <%= if @location do %>
         <div class="mt-4 flex flex-wrap items-baseline gap-4 text-sm">
           <span class="font-semibold">{@location.label}</span>
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live_test.exs
index 5ee77191..229c1d3c 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop_web/live/skewt_live_test.exs
@@ -12,17 +12,29 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLiveTest do
       refute html =~ "viewBox=\"0 0 720"
     end
 
-    test "renders the resolved location label when given a grid square", %{conn: conn} do
+    test "initial render with a URL query shows the page chrome + a loading indicator", %{conn: conn} do
+      # The URL parameter triggers an async resolve. The page must
+      # render the chrome (header, search bar) and a loading state
+      # synchronously — *before* the geocoder / HRRR fetch returns.
       {:ok, _view, html} = live(conn, ~p"/skewt?q=EM12kp")
 
-      # The grid is resolved client-side from the URL — even when no
-      # HRRR profile happens to be on disk for this lat/lon, the
-      # location header should still surface so the user knows their
-      # input was accepted.
+      assert html =~ "Skew-T-Log-P"
+      assert html =~ ~s|placeholder="EM12kp|
+      assert html =~ "Resolving location"
+      # Location label has not arrived yet — that's the whole point.
+      refute html =~ "EM12KP"
+    end
+
+    test "after the async completes the resolved location label appears", %{conn: conn} do
+      {:ok, view, _html} = live(conn, ~p"/skewt?q=EM12kp")
+
+      # Wait for the :load_skewt async to finish, then re-render.
+      html = render_async(view)
+
       assert html =~ "EM12KP"
-      # Lat/lon get formatted to 3 decimals.
       assert html =~ "32.646"
       assert html =~ "-97.125"
+      refute html =~ "Resolving location"
     end
 
     test "submitting the form patches the URL with the query", %{conn: conn} do
@@ -30,8 +42,7 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.SkewtLiveTest do
 
       view |> form("form", q: "EM12") |> render_submit()
 
-      # After patch, the location label appears on the page.
-      assert render(view) =~ "EM12"
+      assert render_async(view) =~ "EM12"
     end
   end
 end