What Weather App do you use for local weather?

[melensdad]

What weather App or Apps are you using for localized weather and how good area?

I've been using the standard weather app that comes free with my iPhone. I've also tried AccuWeather and WeatherBug. But all have disappointed as they seem to be based on the same national forecast data and the same region's forecast. So really all just are pretty generic.

I'm trying DarkSky, which is a $4 cost, but people swear it is more accurate for local forecasts, and which allows users to actually submit location based instant weather conditions. Apparently it is the user submissions that are supposed to make this weather app more accurate. And user reviews rate is as the top app. But in sparsely populated areas I'm not sure it will actually have enough submissions to make the "hyper local" claim worthy of being much more accurate than any of the big name weather apps.

Thoughts?

 

[the Ferret]

I use Accuweather. Has been pretty accurate for me.

 

[halfSpinDoctor]

WeatherUnderground. The app got significantly worse when IBM bought them out, but if you just use the web version of the 10-day forecast it works great.

 

[670cc]

I voted WeatherUnderground. The full web page contains a lot of easily read information that I find important for motorcycling, bicycling, boating, camping, and skiing. Forecasts are accurate. Two different choices offered for weather radar maps. The phone app is abbreviated but OK. I use the full site when more details are needed.

 

[LAPR]

Believe it or not GolfWeather.com I use in Ireland never wrong all you have to do is locate golf courses near were you want to cruise to , never been wrong

 

[Janus]

I use my eyeballs because I'm probably going to ride anyway. Temperature is more relevant to my experience than anything else. I tend to bring extra gloves regardless, so I usually have at least one pair of waterproof gloves. I wear my Areostitch suit year round, along with my goretex Sidi boots.

I used to use Wunderground until they nerfed it and started using it to harvest user data to sell to whoever bids on that kind of thing. I would consider DarkSky but Apple bought it and silo'd it away from Android phones. This late stage capitalism is odious.

 

[dduelin]

Weather Channel or Weather.Gov

AFAIK all weather sites use NOAA or other government provided data like MetOffice for real time and forecasting so the difference is in the focus or presentation that makes for individual preference.

 

[TNHoosier]

I use MyRadar as my primary but it was not on the list.

 

[melensdad]

Weather Channel or Weather.Gov

AFAIK all weather sites use NOAA or other government provided data like MetOffice for real time and forecasting so the difference is in the focus or presentation that makes for individual preference.

The one difference with DarkSky is the user observation for specific locations in addition to all the commonly used stuff.

I think each of the various sites use their own weather modeling software or a meteorologist or both because they don’t all have the same forecasts. Similar, but slightly different, especially in more rural areas

 

[670cc]

AFAIK all weather sites use NOAA or other government provided data like MetOffice for real time and forecasting so the difference is in the focus or presentation that makes for individual preference.

I asked my PhD daughter who had a lot of meteorology training and she agrees with your statements, as they apply to the United States. Most all forecasts in the USA come down from NOAA NWS. Apps or sites may employ paraphrasing or presentation differences, but the weather forecasting is derived from the same source, excepting perhaps a few "amateur" meteorologists.

 

[dduelin]

I learned with sailing to dress and go and not let an iffy forecast keep me home. Sure, I pay attention to extreme weather possibilities but rain isn’t usually a reason to cancel.

 

[fleetingyouth]

I use an app called Astrospheric. I use it for astrophotography but it actually is useful for weather in general. It is a lot more detailed than the average app and broken down by hour. So it comes in handy if you're trying to avoid some rain clouds or get caught in the rain.

 

[melensdad]

One other interesting thing with Dark Sky is that it has "push" notifications for your location when there is a NWS issued "warning" or "watch" in place. So right about the same time my weather radio in the kitchen was blasting an alert, my phone vibrated and the warning popped up on my iPhone screen.

I'm sure other apps have that feature, but none that I have currently loaded.

 

[TNHoosier]

One other interesting thing with Dark Sky is that it has "push" notifications for your location when there is a NWS issued "warning" or "watch" in place. So right about the same time my weather radio in the kitchen was blasting an alert, my phone vibrated and the warning popped up on my iPhone screen.

I'm sure other apps have that feature, but none that I have currently loaded.

MyRadar has push notifications also. I could not find them on Weather Underground.

 

[670cc]

MyRadar has push notifications also. I could not find them on Weather Underground.

Although I don't desire to use it, I immediately found the push notifications setting on the Weather Underground app (app version 6.8 running on IOS). It can be set for different types of alerts and for different locations.

 

[TNHoosier]

Although I don't desire to use it, I immediately found the push notifications setting on the Weather Underground app (app version 6.8 running on IOS). It can be set for different types of alerts and for different locations.

View attachment 45331

Hmmm, my menu does not have a selection for push notifications. Using version 6.8.1 on Android.

 

[GregC]

Best Weather Apps for 2023

Mother Nature can't surprise you when you're using these apps.

www.cnet.com

 

[GregC]

Weather Channel or Weather.Gov

AFAIK all weather sites use NOAA or other government provided data like MetOffice for real time and forecasting so the difference is in the focus or presentation that makes for individual preference.

I thought this as well, but it appears that apps *can* use NOAA or NWS data if they want, but many do not, or use subsets of NOAA/NWS data. The "magic" is in the algorithms, and there are 100's of those.

 

[dduelin]

I thought this as well, but it appears that apps *can* use NOAA or NWS data if they want, but many do not, or use subsets of NOAA/NWS data. The "magic" is in the algorithms, and there are 100's of those.

It's very expensive to launch and maintain weather satellites as well as support the infrastructure and people on a global scale that collect weather and climatological data that apps ultimately use. It's one of the best uses of government power and one that is essential to the app user. The app is the presentation of data and not the collection of it that allows micro and macro forecasts.

 

[davidc83]

I use the NOAA Weather Radar app....It sends me NWS warnings without doing anything...downloaded, installed, allowed it to know my location...I use it mainly to check radar to see if there are lightening storms in the areas I am riding (so I can change my route).