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What Weather App or source are you using for local forecasts?

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
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.

  • Local US Weather Service
  • AccuWeather
  • Weather Underground
  • Dark Sky
  • Weather Bug
  • Local TV station's forecast?
  • Whatever came pre-loaded on my Smartphone
  • OTHER

Thoughts?
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I don't have a weather app installed on my phone or laptop.
I do have accuweather bookmarked, then also click on the home screen time/temp that takes me to The Weather Channel.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
My umteen years old phone came with the Weather Channel preinstalled but I seldom if ever use it. I tend to use the local Channel 7 weather app almost exclusively on the phone and the I-pad Mini. I can walk outside and see the what the weather is and use the radar in the app to see what's coming. I find that they tend to over sensationalize bad weather and will have you diving for cover at every thunderstorm. I think that is a policy decision on their part as they don't want to be accused of not warning people of potentially serious weather events.

I am also enrolled in our county's weather alert which sends messages to your cell phone and house telephone of impending, or possible, tornado activity or other weather disasters.
 

mla2ofus

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've used NOAA local forecast for yrs and it's usually as close as any other site. Definition of a weather person: Someone with $20 billion of equipment and a hunch!!
 

Ceee

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I don't know a lot about techy stuff. I have something installed on my Echo beside my bed, not even sure what it is, maybe NOAA. Echo makes a sound that means you have a notification, and that wakes me up. I usually don't get up if it's just a tornado watch, but I do jump right up when it's a tornado warning. I'm usually aware of possible hurricanes, but they're pretty slow, so I already usually know about when they're going to roll in.

We've been getting soooo much rain lately that the flash flood warnings are kind aggravating, but I just deal with it because I sure want to know about possible tornados.

I also watch the local news forecasts too.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I use the weather rock.

Screenshot_20210620-192241_Chrome.jpg



Realistically, I use AccuWeather.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm eyeballin the weather radar right now.
We's about to get hammered.
?
I do that regularly too

I use the apps for motorcycling and walking, we have trails in the area and it's nice to double check. But on the bike I often find myself farther away and I use weather apps to give me localized info.

DarkSky shows a lot of promise, the fact that is allows users to post real time weather updates might actually make it more accurate for rural areas. The cities seem to get real forecasts but the far flung rural ears get far more generalized info.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
We did indeed get hammered.
Lol
Those two lovely cells brought the severe thunderstorm warning.
Didn't last long, blew through quickly.
Then ended with a grand finale earth shaking clap of thunder.

20210620_211831.jpg
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
One other interesting thing with Dark Sky phone App is that it has "push" notifications for your location when there is a NWS issued "warning" or "watch" in place. Last night we had a severe storm front roll through. 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.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I'll check out the Dark Sky app.
After last nights/this morning's series of storms.. I'm thinking it's going to come in handy.
3 seperate storms last night!
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
In Chicago this weekend visiting Melen. We are walking around outside. The Dark Sky weather app has been sending me rain alerts and it is astoundingly accurate. There have been several alters saying that rain will start at my location in about 5 minutes. Each time it was correct. It also gives me an indication of how long the rain will last. So we know if we need to just get under an awning or seek shelter.

No other app I tried was close to this for localized weather. Every other App I've tried gives far more general weather and/or doesn't give a forecast that is so timely to where I am.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've found that AccuWeather is like that where I live. So I've always just stuck with that. Their hourly and even to the minute forecast has been bang on for the most part. Very rarely do they miss it in our area.
 

MNwr786

Active member
The radar app has insane layer options and the paid version is worth the pennies they ask. It has multiple radar styles, countless overlays like wind aviation etc. Epic radar app. The other one I use for weekly forecasts as it seems the most reliable in my experience. I use the free version of that.
Screenshot_20210626-213118.png
Screenshot_20210626-213129.png
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've found that AccuWeather is like that where I live. So I've always just stuck with that. Their hourly and even to the minute forecast has been bang on for the most part. Very rarely do they miss it in our area.
Maybe because I am somewhat close to, but still too far outside of Chicago, but it seems like the AccuWeather and other 'mainstream' apps seem to give me a very slightly modified version of the Chicago area forecast.

I find it tells me very generalized information that turns out to be 'best guess' which is not too much different than my emergency weather radio. That thing will sound off an alert for, what is supposed to be, my area and then not much actually happens ... or the SHTF depending on if it is right or wrong.

The DarkSky has been so darn accurate with its alerts that it is amazing.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
The radar app has insane layer options and the paid version is worth the pennies they ask. It has multiple radar styles, countless overlays like wind aviation etc. Epic radar app. The other one I use for weekly forecasts as it seems the most reliable in my experience. I use the free version of that.
View attachment 138190View attachment 138191
I've not heard of MyRadar before so I will be investigating this one.

NOAA seems to be a broad brush for my area and I get alerts that are sometimes correct and sometimes very incorrect.

Thanks for the heads up on MyRadar
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Bring back John Coleman, a Chicago weatherman. He was correct most of the time. These weather apps suck being correct.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Ok, so let's see how this turns out.
Darksky says heavy rains Friday-Tuesday
Weather forecast shows partly-mostly sunny the whole time.
I'll let y'all know which one was correct, or at least closest.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
What amazes me about DarkSky is the near term accuracy. NWS and my weather app that came with my iPhone will say cloudy, Dark Sky will say rain starting in 10 minutes. Just about 10 minutes later I’m feeling raindrops on my head and the others are saying cloudy skies.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Now Darksky has some rain, and clouds, while the weather app that came with the phone shows partly sunny all the way through.
I sure hope the weather app is correct and darksky is not!
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I finally did put a weather app on my phone.
I got it from Play Store (Google).
It's the app from the local Toledo 11 weather service.
It's very accurate and I get a pleasant little alert sound when the weather is updated.

20210816_191755.jpg
 

LorenVags

New member
It can be frustrating when you're looking for accurate local forecasts but only seem to find generic information.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
DarkSky was the best of the best for highly localized forecasts. The DarkSky app was eventually folded into the Apple weather app. Apple's version doesn't offer all the options in the way that they were presented by DarkSky but the app seems good, it is a big improvement over its former versions. The good info is still available but in a format that is more visually generic. DarkSky was a bit more weather-nerd oriented and less visually polished.

Now I just use the AppleWeather app.
 

LorenVags

New member
It can be frustrating when you're looking for accurate local forecasts but only seem to find generic information.
I've heard good things about Dark Sky too, especially with their user submissions feature.
Another weather source that you might find helpful is worldweatheronline.com. They offer local weather forecasts, as well as historical weather data, and even provide climate information for travelers. It's always great to have a few options to choose from when it comes to finding the best weather information.
 
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