iOS App of the Day: WeatherBug
The built-in weather app for iOS is basic in its features at best and leaves many users wanting more. There are hundreds of different free and paid versions of weather apps available in iTunes, but which one is worth the download. Anyone I’ve talked to almost always raves about the free WeatherBug app for iOS leading me to take a closer look for myself. After spending some quality time with WeatherBug and even taking the app with me on a family vacation I found its weather data to be fast, accurate,and reliable. Let’s take a closer look at the app below.
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use interface
- No sign up or account needed
- Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts (DTAs) – DTAs by Earth Networks automatically provide the most advanced weather and lightning-based alerts to severe weather that is moving into an identified area near you. Our Severe Storm Network monitors storm development in real-time, so you can get double the warning time to severe weather such as high winds, hail, heavy rain rates, lightning strikes and tornadoes.
- My Current Location – Automatically updates your weather information based on the closest weather station to you in your neighborhood.
- Interactive Maps w/ Doppler radar – Enjoy tracking the storm yourself using the multitude of map layers available at your fingertips.
- Pin-Point Conditions – Drop a pin on the map anywhere in the U.S. and view current conditions from the exclusive WeatherBug network.
- Visual Forecasts – Accurate, easy-to-read, at-a-glance display of essential weather information you need quickly and easily.
- Live Cams – Scroll through and view live shots from HD cameras in the exclusive WeatherBug Network
- Touchy advertisements sometimes get in the way of feature icons
- National forecast is too general
- No video forecasts by location
How it works:
Once you download the app you can immediately start viewing pertinent weather data in your location. The main page of WeatherBug displays your city and state at the top and has your current conditions overview and the forecast for the day. Along the bottom of each version is a series of icons for a seven-day forecast, a map view with condition overlays, camera for photos of current conditions, national outlook video, and your settings. Essentially, WeatherBug compiles data and live images to provide you with current weather conditions from the weather station that’s closest to your location. To set your location you can turn your device’s location settings to “on” or you can enter in a location manually by typing in the city or zip code.
7-Day Forecast: At a glance displays day of the week, weather icon, low and high temperatures, and percentage of storms. Tap on a specific day to read a detailed forecast summary.
Map: Provides a map of your location with the option to add weather layers. Layers include radar, satellite, worldwide satellite, temperature, heat index, and wind chill.
Camera: Displays photos of current conditions (up to 10) from nearby weather stations
National Outlook: Plays a 2:00 minute video clip of a very generalized forecast for the nation. I wish there was an option to watch video forecasts for different locations or your specific location. I found the national outlook to be too general and not really helpful.
As expected, the free version of WeatherBug is ad-supported while the paid version does not have advertisements. The ads weren’t bothersome in the free version, but if you’re a weather junkie the paid version does offer a variety of added features. Weather Bug Pro includes full radar animation, additional map layers for infrared satellite, humidity, air pressure, wind speed, and the next day’s high and low. You can also enjoy cached weather data for offline viewing, enhanced current conditions, and a touch anywhere map for the local forecast.
Conclusion:
The free version of WeatherBug for iOS provides a wealth of instant and reliable information for your basic needs. I loved that WeatherBug has access to over 35, 000 weather stations so I could see current weather conditions and historical data. The app was super simple to use and navigate through making its interface one of my personal favorites to use. I use this app at least once a day to plan my outdoor activities and have yet to be disappointed. WeatherBug makes it extremely easy to stay on top of your local weather conditions making this app a great download for your personal and travel needs.
WeatherBug is available for free in the iTunes Store. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later. iTunes Link
This is part of our iOS App of the Day series. We take our favorite app for iOS for each day and post it here for you to check out. Feel free to check out all of our App of the Day posts here.
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