diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
index e0124f86..a1894339 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/weather.ex
@@ -940,13 +940,63 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather do
         # authoritative, so don't fall back to a full ProfilesFile decode
         # in that case.
         if ScalarFile.exists?(valid_time) do
-          ScalarFile.read_bounds(valid_time, bounds)
+          read_via_scalar(valid_time, bounds)
         else
           read_and_derive_grid(valid_time, bounds)
         end
     end
   end
 
+  defp read_via_scalar(valid_time, bounds) do
+    fill_grid_cache_from_scalar(valid_time)
+
+    case GridCache.fetch_bounds(valid_time, bounds) do
+      {:ok, rows} -> rows
+      :miss -> ScalarFile.read_bounds(valid_time, bounds)
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Cap on cached valid_times. HRRR runs hourly with 18 forecast hours, so
+  # 24 covers analysis + 18 forecasts plus a few late stragglers from the
+  # previous run while a user is scrubbing.
+  @grid_cache_valid_time_cap 24
+
+  # Hydrate GridCache from the on-disk ScalarFile so concurrent viewport
+  # reads for the same valid_time don't each gunzip+msgpack-decode the
+  # same chunk files. Only the caller that wins `claim_fill` does the
+  # work; losers wait briefly for the ETS write to land.
+  defp fill_grid_cache_from_scalar(valid_time) do
+    lock_key = {:scalar_to_grid_cache, valid_time}
+
+    if GridCache.claim_fill(lock_key) do
+      try do
+        rows = ScalarFile.read_bounds(valid_time, nil)
+
+        if rows != [] do
+          GridCache.put(valid_time, rows)
+          _ = GridCache.prune_keep_latest(@grid_cache_valid_time_cap)
+        end
+      after
+        GridCache.release_fill(lock_key)
+      end
+    else
+      wait_for_grid_cache(valid_time)
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp wait_for_grid_cache(valid_time) do
+    Enum.reduce_while(1..50, :miss, fn _, _ ->
+      case GridCache.fetch(valid_time) do
+        {:ok, _} ->
+          {:halt, :ok}
+
+        :miss ->
+          Process.sleep(20)
+          {:cont, :miss}
+      end
+    end)
+  end
+
   # Cold path: ScalarFile didn't have anything for this valid_time, so
   # decode the raw ProfilesFile and derive the requested viewport. Kicks
   # off a background materialization of the full scalar file so the
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache.ex
index 62ad9df7..32215e79 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache.ex
@@ -119,6 +119,25 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather.GridCache do
     :ets.select_delete(@table, match_spec)
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Keep only the `keep` most-recent valid_times, dropping the rest. Returns
+  the number of entries removed. Used to bound memory when forecast hours
+  are cached on demand.
+  """
+  @spec prune_keep_latest(non_neg_integer()) :: non_neg_integer()
+  def prune_keep_latest(keep) when is_integer(keep) and keep >= 0 do
+    case :ets.select(@table, [{{:"$1", :_}, [], [:"$1"]}]) do
+      [] ->
+        0
+
+      times ->
+        sorted = Enum.sort(times, {:desc, DateTime})
+        to_drop = Enum.drop(sorted, keep)
+        Enum.each(to_drop, &:ets.delete(@table, &1))
+        length(to_drop)
+    end
+  end
+
   @spec clear() :: :ok
   def clear do
     GenServer.call(__MODULE__, :clear)
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache_test.exs
index eb7220e0..937eb9b8 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/weather/grid_cache_test.exs
@@ -195,4 +195,30 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather.GridCacheTest do
       assert GridCache.latest_valid_time() == nil
     end
   end
+
+  describe "prune_keep_latest/1" do
+    test "drops oldest valid_times beyond the cap" do
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 10:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 11:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 12:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 13:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+
+      removed = GridCache.prune_keep_latest(2)
+      assert removed == 2
+
+      assert GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 10:00:00Z]) == :miss
+      assert GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 11:00:00Z]) == :miss
+      assert {:ok, _} = GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 12:00:00Z])
+      assert {:ok, _} = GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 13:00:00Z])
+    end
+
+    test "is a no-op when the cap is not exceeded" do
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 10:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+      GridCache.put(~U[2026-04-12 11:00:00Z], [%{lat: 32.0, lon: -97.0}])
+
+      assert GridCache.prune_keep_latest(5) == 0
+      assert {:ok, _} = GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 10:00:00Z])
+      assert {:ok, _} = GridCache.fetch(~U[2026-04-12 11:00:00Z])
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/weather_grid_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/weather_grid_test.exs
index 144f1bf9..3cb3279c 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop/weather_grid_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/weather_grid_test.exs
@@ -647,6 +647,61 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.WeatherGridTest do
     end
   end
 
+  describe "weather_grid_at/2 → GridCache from ScalarFile" do
+    alias Microwaveprop.Weather.ScalarFile
+
+    setup do
+      # Tests below assert end state in ETS.
+      GridCache.clear()
+      :ok
+    end
+
+    test "populates GridCache from ScalarFile on miss so the next read skips file IO" do
+      vt = ~U[2026-04-28 15:00:00Z]
+
+      ProfilesFile.write!(vt, %{
+        {32.125, -97.375} => %{
+          surface_temp_c: 25.0,
+          surface_dewpoint_c: 18.0,
+          surface_pressure_mb: 1013.0,
+          hpbl_m: 500.0,
+          pwat_mm: 30.0,
+          profile: []
+        },
+        {32.250, -97.375} => %{
+          surface_temp_c: 26.0,
+          surface_dewpoint_c: 19.0,
+          surface_pressure_mb: 1012.0,
+          hpbl_m: 600.0,
+          pwat_mm: 32.0,
+          profile: []
+        }
+      })
+
+      # Materialize the ScalarFile so it's the source of truth.
+      :ok = Weather.materialize_scalar_file(vt)
+      assert ScalarFile.exists?(vt)
+      assert GridCache.fetch(vt) == :miss
+
+      # First call: miss → reads ScalarFile → populates GridCache.
+      bounds = %{"south" => 32.0, "north" => 33.0, "west" => -98.0, "east" => -97.0}
+      rows = Weather.weather_grid_at(vt, bounds)
+      assert length(rows) == 2
+
+      # GridCache is now warm — confirms cache populate happened.
+      assert {:ok, cached_rows} = GridCache.fetch(vt)
+      assert length(cached_rows) == 2
+
+      # Wipe the on-disk ScalarFile. The next call should still return data
+      # because GridCache is the hot path.
+      _ = File.rm_rf(ScalarFile.dir_for(vt))
+      refute ScalarFile.exists?(vt)
+
+      rows_again = Weather.weather_grid_at(vt, bounds)
+      assert length(rows_again) == 2
+    end
+  end
+
   # Merges `attrs` (a single HRRR grid cell) into the ProfilesFile for
   # `attrs.valid_time`. Re-reads any existing file so multiple calls for
   # the same valid_time accumulate cells, mirroring how the Rust worker