Weather Apps to Get You Through the Storm
It wasn’t so long ago that getting a weather report meant staying up late to watch the evening news or getting up early to read the morning paper. But the advent of the internet and mobile phones means up-to-the-minute forecasts for cities around the globe are now just a click away.
Whether you’re a would-be Gabriel Fahrenheit or you’re relying on up-to-date information to ensure a safe evacuation during severe weather, there are weather apps for every need. Here’s a breakdown, from A to Z.
Accuweather
A major force in the business, this gets high marks for its easy-to-use, nice-looking apps, video weather reports, and international forecasts. Features include current weather, forecasts that range from hourly to 15-day, real-time weather alerts, and animated radar and satellite. Helpful and fun: 26 “lifestyle” lenses that report on the weather from a variety of perspectives, from health (asthma, migraine, arthritis, etc.) to recreation (golfing, fishing, gardening, etc.). It even has a bad hair day alert.
Dark Sky
With Texas’ frenetic weather, you need down-to-the-minute predictions. Using radar mapping, Dark Sky gives users focused information on precipitation at their exact location. After taking refuge during a downpour, you’ll know just when you can finally walk to your car without getting soaked.
The National Weather Service
The most complete site out there, this offers info on everything from river levels, snow cover, and marine and buoy reports to astronomical data and space weather. Besides, it’s where most of the other weather sites get their data. So why not go directly to the source?
NOAA Radar Cast Elite
Are you headed away from or toward the storm? Stay safe on the road with real-time lightning strike data, storm paths, and weather-specific driving directions.
NOAA Weather Alerts
Keep an eye on the safety of your loved ones with area-specific severe-weather notifications for up to 20 additional saved locations.
NOAA Weather Radio App
It’s like having a conventional weather radio in the palm of your hand, with more than 200 all-hazards broadcasts available 24/7. Track lightning, access animated radar, and get severe-weather push notifications and weather forecasts all in one convenient package.
Partly Cloudy
See the coming weather in a beautiful 24-hour clock-dial format.
Poncho
If you like your goofy local weatherman who occasionally performs his duties in a slapstick manner, you’ll love Poncho, your neighborhood weathercat. The app gives you all the info you’ll need, including daily and five-day forecasts and real-time alerts — and presents it with a little humor to boot.
RainAware
Get instant radar updates, details on storm paths, the minute it will start raining in your area, and for how long it will hit you. Find out the nearest location that’s rain to plan trips around current storms.
Red Cross Tornado App
No cell service? No problem; this app doesn’t need it. Get step-by-step instructions for before, during, and after a tornado, as well as tornado warnings and a shelter locator.
SkyMotion
Are you safe to travel to the store for supplies? Walk the dog? Get a real-time look at the severity and duration of upcoming weather.
The Weather Channel
Its site (weather.com) and newly designed iPhone app consistently rank No. 1 for views and downloads. And it’s easy to see why. It’s simple and accurate, whether you’re looking for hourly forecasts or a 10-day outlook. Helpful alerts include severe weather, air quality, and pollen. Maps and radar provide additional details for those who want to drill down. A camera feature allows you to snap the current conditions in your area and share with other weather geeks.
Weather Timeline
Simple, clean, and ad-free, this presents weather in a timeline allowing users to easily scroll through hourly and daily weather updates. Access extreme weather alerts for various saved locations; you can even compare cities if you and family members in other parts of the country are waiting out a storm.
Weather Underground
Details include cloud heights and high-definition radar plus meteorologist blogs.
Weatherspark
This stands out for its maps, charts, and weather history that goes back to the 1950s.
Weather Underground
This comprehensive app uses weather stations worldwide to deliver some of the most accurate weather you can get on your smartphone. Even cooler, the app tells you not just when the sun will set, but when you’ll have to use your brights. Details include cloud heights and high-definition radar plus meteorologist blogs.
Ask your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent to help you sign up for Severe Weather Text Alerts. You can also enroll by texting your county name to 84792.
© 2016 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
