[shrubs]

I use a weather app to help me plan for a ride.

I am wondering if my weather app info and display-Weather Underground (WU)-has become mediocre.
I am a meteorology nerd, and happily had WU for years.

Lately I’m finding it to be about the same as the casual user type weather apps. There are so many. Some even if you pay, are mediocre. Made that mistake.

I prefer a radar display that is up to the minute, not a computer model or 20 minutes old. I like temperature/rain information for planning near where I ride-not from a random reporting station miles away.

The apps that give forecast like 100% chance of rain for the entire day, but further fine tuning on my part shows that 100% exists at 1130 pm, are silly.

Admin edit: add photo for feature

 

[Lombard]

I use Weather.com which is The Weather Channel's app. I find it more accurate than Accuweather.com .

Pay versions are no better, they just have more features or don't have ads - usually just the latter.

 

[J.R.]

I like Storm Radar. It shows Precipitation, wind speed/direction, temperature, and sunny/cloudy in a graph type format. Switch between 48 hrs (by the hour) or 14 days (by the day). I find it much faster to get a sense of what is forecast.

Has a nice radar and other nice options.

 

[tlg]

I use Weather.com which is The Weather Channel's app. I find it more accurate than Accuweather.com .

Me too. I hate it and love it. The phone app is smeared with ads. But I historically find the hour by hour the most accurate out there.

A riding buddy of mine always uses Accuuweather. We always argue/disagree if we're going to get rained on/rained out. Guess who's right most of the time.

 

[Lombard]

Me too. I hate it and love it. The phone app is smeared with ads. But I historically find the hour by hour the most accurate out there.

A riding buddy of mine always uses Accuuweather. We always argue/disagree if we're going to get rained on/rained out. Guess who's right most of the time.

Ha! And even when repeatedly proven wrong, the Accuweather people still swear by their app.

 

[Jay Strongbow]

I don't know about 'apps' per se but NOAA has been very good in my experience.

 

[BlazingPedals]

I've got MyRadar on my phone. Like the name says, it's mostly a radar display. Current temp is generally pretty accurate but forecast is minimal.

 

[nOOky]

I use Weatherbug. The radar is so much faster than the Weather channel.

 

[Princeton_Tiger]

I go to the weather channel's weather.com on my desktop to check the hour-by-hour temperature and wind speed/direction, as well as their radar, before heading out to assess the time that I will be out on the road. Combined, that gives all the weather information I need during my ride. To quote Paul Simon; "I get all the news I need from the weather report".

 

[shrubs]

Thanks for the picture edit. I don’t have a pic of a forecast for rain at 1130 pm, that bleeds into the forecasts for the whole day. I.e. rain is forecast and it’s 9am with not a cloud in sight. Who wants to deal with rain gear and never use it on a dry day. I’m guessing someone may….

Anyway, been loading apps mentioned in posts for personal edification. Actually randomly found one named “The Weather” (no I am not paid by them), that has weather data changes to nearby where I am. Have not had a day to check how timely updates are on their radar feed is-not minutes old.

 

[Mike Overly]

I also use WeatherBug but am always looking for something better. Good radar is a must -- don't care if their daily snapshot is an exaggeration as long as hour-by-hour and radar are accurate.

 

[PBL450]

I don't know about 'apps' per se but NOAA has been very good in my experience.

Yeah, I use NOAA and Weather Channel.

 

[velodog]

I step in the yard and look at the sky, feel the temp and wind, and then make a WAG on what the day is gonna bring. Just like the weathermen I grew up watching.

Although this yardstick is often fraught with unforeseen issues.

 

[Lombard]

I step in the yard and look at the sky, feel the temp and wind, and then make a WAG on what the day is gonna bring. Just like the weathermen I grew up watching.

Although this yardstick is often fraught with unforeseen issues.

Don't you use the Weather Rock?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_rock

 

[velodog]

Don't you use the Weather Rock?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_rock

I live in a city so would need to use the Weather Pavement.

I've never heard of a weather rock, but I have seen wind chains.

 

[No Time Toulouse]

My local NBC TV station has invested a lot in their weather department (I live in the snowbelt, so meteorologists are sometimes celebrities locally), and they have developed a weather app that I find quick, easy and thorough.

 

[Catmandoo]

Weatherbug as it has a built in radar app. It does bog down sometimes.

 

[shrubs]

Years ago looked at home weather stations found the good ones are $$$$$.
Years later I looked again thinking that over time….
Conclusion. Really good ones are $$$$$.

 

[MDM]

National Weather Service and Storm Radar. The Apple weather widget, which uses weather.com, is nice too.

 

[shrubs]

I also found that these home weather stations, usually electronically connect some network that shows up in an app.

I found a couple of apps rely on a network of local home weather stations for reports.

The “fly in the ointment” as they say, is a lack of standardization. The reporters foot the bill for their own home stations. There are many brands and variable accuracy between them. Installation location matters too.

How do I know this? I had an app that consistently reported a local temp that was way apart from from even what I was seeing on TV. It became obvious that there was a problem with the particular home weather station. I sent an email to the developer. No response. What I expected.

Radar reports are another ball game.

So I do what I always do. Look at my app for current and forecast conditions, my cheapie temp guage, and a look at the sky and set off.