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Best Weather Apps for iPhone & Android

posted by on September 01, 2015 in Mobile Apps, Phones and Mobile, Android Apps, BlackBerry Apps, iPhone/iPad Apps, Health and Home, Health & Fitness, Guides & Reviews :: 17 comments


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With our high-tech tendency to watch TV using DVRs, TV on demand and streaming media, there are some things we miss: like the local news. And though we get most of that news from our favorite online news sources, the local weather report is something we sorely miss—we just don't miss it quite enough to remember to catch the local news for the forecast every night. Fortunately, there are quite a few apps to keep us on top of the local forecast and help us remember to pack our umbrellas—or carry our sunglasses—when we need them.

Top Pick: Accuweather

Accuweather appOur overall favorite weather app is the simple-to-use AccuWeather, from the company of the same name. Specifically, we love its MinuteCast feature. It predicts when precipitation will start in your exact GPS location all the way down to the exact minute. And if it’s severe weather you’re worried about, Accuweather has you covered with GPS location-based push notifications. You can get forecasts for other cities too, of course, but that’s not where this app shines – it’s for when you’re most concerned about a hyper-local weather forecast for your exact location.

You can download the free, ad-supported Accuweather app for iOS on the Apple App Store and for Android devices via Google Play. Ads can be disabled via an in-app purchase of $3.99.

Top Rural Pick: WeatherUnderground

WeatherUnderground WunderMapWhenever I’m visiting my parents’ house out in farm country, I like using WeatherUnderground. The well-designed app delivers data from over 40,000 professional and hobbyist weather stations to provide highly localized data for out-of-the-way places. Besides a wealth of temperature and condition data, you get air quality data and access to local webcams so you can see the weather for yourself. Another great feature is the WunderMap, a simple TV-style map with a temperature overlay pulled from the stations nearest you.

For International weather info, check out WeatherUnderground’s separate iPad-only WunderStation app. It collects real-time data directly from 37,000 personal weather stations across the world. You can take a look at plenty of historic data, too. And if you have family around the globe, you can set severe weather alerts for any station to stay in touch.

You can download the free ad-supported WeatherUnderground app for iOS on the Apple App Store and for Android devices via Google Play. You can download WunderStation for the iPad on the Apple App Store. Ads can be disabled via an in-app purchase of $1.99 per year.

Top Allergy Forecaster: Zyrtec AllergyCast

Zyrtec AllergyCastIf you're an allergy sufferer, you don't need all the details of the weather: you just want to know what the pollen forecast looks like. Zyrtec AllergyCast—by the makers of allergy medicine Zyrtec, so it's happy to recommend Zyrtec products to help your symptoms—gives you an allergy-specific forecast, including the current temperature and predominant pollens. Swiping to the right gives you an hourly forecast and swiping again gives you a weekly forecast.

If you're looking for an easy way to track your symptoms, AllergyCast also includes a simple symptoms log where you tell it how you're feeling ("great," "okay," "not well," or "ugh") and select any allergy symptoms you're suffering. We especially like this log because it doesn't require you to type anything in: just move your thumb to set the dial on the screen and tap the checkmark to save. Easy!

You can download the free Zyrtec app for iOS on the Apple App Store and for Android devices via Google Play.

Top Hurricane App: Hurricane Tracker

Hurricane Tracker appWhen it comes to hurricanes, one of the most important details is the storm’s path. Keep up to date on brewing and imminent storms with the Hurricane Tracker app. It delivers official bulletins and maps from the National Hurricane Center in real time, along with animated satellite maps. And if you want even more analysis, the Hurricane Tracker team creates its own maps to explain each storm’s impact. It may not be a perfectly polished app, but it’s certainly a useful one.

You can download the $2.99 Hurricane Tracker app for iOS on the Apple App Store. There’s no Android version of the app, but you can still access the info by logging in to hurrtracker.com on your favorite mobile browser (fee required).

Top Tornado App: iMap Weather Radio

iMap Weather RadioThe fall may not be peak tornado season, but they can and do happen in any month. Stay protected no matter where you are with the iMapWeather app. We love that it’s customizable – you can draw an area for the app to keep watch over, and you’ll get push alerts for that area only. You can also set it to track your location and give you tornado warnings for your exact GPS coordinates.

You can download the $4.99 iMapWeather app for Android devices via Google Play and for iOS on the Apple App Store (it's called Weather Radio, but it's the same thing).

Updated on 9/1/2015.

[Images via AccuWeather, WeatherUnderground, Zyrtec AllergyCast, Hurricane Tracker and iMap Weather Radio]


Discussion loading

Best weather app

From Rob Nugent on May 08, 2013 :: 8:08 pm

The best weather app (in my opinion) that I’ve found for Android is called 1Weather. It is extremely easy to navigate, provides you with anything that you need or want to know and even includes weather service alerts. The best part - it’s FREE. Try it for yourself!

Reply

1weather

From Leslie Howey on May 10, 2013 :: 12:18 am

I agree about 1weather. I uninstalled my previous weather program as it provided no current temp display. 1weather displays in the top bar at all times and is always current and I am VERY pleased with it.

Reply

ooops...

From Catarino on May 10, 2013 :: 11:43 am

You forgot http://www.weddar.com

smile

Reply

Well, those apps don't cover where I live

From Wolana Phoenixfyre on May 23, 2013 :: 4:21 pm

Those of us 60 miles or more from the “big cities” won’t get a lot of help from those apps (not even from WeatherBug).

I have found Weather Underground by far the most accurate on current conditions in 22482; they have several local weather stations maintained by local residents.

Reply

Is there an app for that?

From Kelly on May 29, 2013 :: 1:09 am

I have the same problem-I KNOW the temps are not as low as what any of them say, though this time of year I wish they were!  I know there’s a weather reporting station near me and view that info on the laptop, would love to check it from phone in a format other than basic web page.

Reply

Bugs in WeatherBug

From moondiva on May 27, 2013 :: 6:28 pm

For about 16 months I’ve loved the app. Then it started changing my location from my location (OK) to Ohio..Florida..Missouri and Louisiana. The change location feature does not correct..in fact it won’t change from the wrong location.  Usually the weather showing on my Home Screen is correct..it makes the jump when I check radar and then will not correct.

During the 2 recent twisters we had…one 8 miles from me…the app thought I was in Ohio. I tried removing and re-installing ....fixes it part of the time.

Just checked radar and I’m in MO according to WB.  I have removed it today forever! Now just going to load something to try. Doubt anything could be as bad.

Reply

International Weather

From Geoffrey Riddell on September 12, 2014 :: 12:38 pm

As usual, the rest of the planet does not exist outside the good old US of A.

BBC Weather app is the best, the easiest and the most useful.

Try it!

Reply

When in Rome...

From Kelly on September 13, 2014 :: 11:27 am

Is this not a site targeted to readers in the US?  Given that it is, why would said readers be interested in apps that might be quite useful in another country but have no value here?

Reply

An Alternative?

From Claire Anderson on May 13, 2015 :: 5:04 am

Believe me any list of best weather apps is incomplete without WeatherMate (http://www.weathermate.net). It has all the ingredients that you say make a cool weather app. It’s layout, design, interface, everything works like a charm. In fact the weather maps feature is a great one. Similarly, the weather forecasts are hyper-local, so no matter, now unpredictable weather is, I get accurate updates.

Reply

Best weather app hands down

From wthr1 on January 22, 2016 :: 12:44 am

Weather Mate - no I don’t work for them.  I just found this app tonite, and OMG - it’s AWESOME It has everything you could ever want in a weather app. It’s good for day to day weather, travel weather, severe weather, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and more!  You can’t ask for more!  And, the app is easy to use, and easy to read!  Holy cow, where has this app been all my life?  I wish I’d have found this ages ago!!!  Great app.

Reply

I'm loving the Yahoo Weather App

From Lorane on September 02, 2015 :: 12:20 pm

My go-to weather app on my iphone is Yahoo’s Weather app. The opening pictures are so lovely. Caveat: I live in Southern California so no hurricanes, tornados, or rain!

Reply

THe easiest with Radar is WGN

From Randy on September 02, 2015 :: 12:35 pm

Having long ago left Chicago I still use WGN’s APP, especially for the Radar view….everything else is just gravy.

Reply

Dark Sky

From Carter Newton on September 02, 2015 :: 2:45 pm

Cant believe you left our Dark Sky; best I know of and fun.

Reply

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From Khubaib Khan on September 16, 2015 :: 8:08 am

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Reply

I use Weather Wiz. it's

From elin on August 05, 2017 :: 1:22 pm

I use Weather Wiz. it’s accurate (because of using IBM weather data), reliable and free. it has cool themes and many other options.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sixthsolution.weatherwiz

Reply

Weather app

From Awez on September 19, 2018 :: 6:46 am

This blog is informative. But If you are looking for Indian air quality app then I suggest one app that is Prkruti app. And this https://goo.gl/GT7R72 app helps to identify the pureness of the air. It can be used for AQI calculation, Air quality index by city. It’s smart algorithm notifies when to wear mask and when to perform an outdoor activity.

Reply

MinuteCast gone?

From Hman on December 28, 2018 :: 7:07 am

In the current update (210) they seem to have dropped the MinuteCast feature. Which was, in my view, their only USP…

Reply

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