Rain Delay: Top iPhone Weather Apps

If you stumbled across this blog hoping for a daily weather forecast, I'm sorry to say you're going to be disappointed.  My competition is too great and so much more advanced in delivering you the weather in remarkably fast and easy ways.  The days of paging through the newspaper to find the weather page are long past us.  In the year 2010, you can get a weather forecast and look at weather data from virtually anywhere (provided you have internet access or cellular reception).  In an effort to keep you coming back, even if I don't offer you a daily forecast, I'm going to start writing features every now and then in a segment called Rain Delay, in which we'll look at advancements in meteorology and the technologies which bring you closer to Mother Nature.  To kick it off, we'll take a look at applications for one of the world's most popular mobile handsets, the Apple iPhone.  Despite a sub-par cellular network by many accounts, the technology offered on this phone, augmented through thousands upon thousands of mobile applications, or "apps," is essential for any meteorologist -- or weather enthusiast -- on-the-go.

Before I begin, I want to say that the names and trademarks off the apps listed below (and Apple's devices) are properties of their respective companies/developers, and I have been in no way compensated for my suggestions/endorsements.  If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and like what you see, I've provided links to download them in the App Store if you click on the title of the app.

My-Cast Weather ($3.99)
This app is my first destination for weather information on-the-go.  The developers at Digital Cyclone have delivered a beautiful, intuitive application that is perfect for anyone who wants a quick, simple look at the weather.  Included are detailed current conditions for your current (GPS-enabled) location or any bookmarked location and a seven-day (probably computer-generated) forecast, which includes an hour-by-hour look for the current day.  To me, the best feature of this app is a great maps interface, which allows you to view animated radar and satellite data, severe weather statements, as well as plot current conditions on a map that is zoom-able and easy to read.  This is definitely my favorite weather app and it's well worth the $4.

RadarScope ($9.99)
A vital feature of any meteorologist's toolbox is Doppler radar.  It's usually one of the first things you see on the morning or evening weathercast, sometimes at the beginning of the newscast (cue the "and let's take a look at the radar" soundbite).  With RadarScope you have real-time access to the full suite of products of our nation's 159 high-resolution Doppler radars.  Similar software for your desktop computer would run almost $80, so now that intimidating $9.99 price doesn't look so bad.  With the intuitive interface, you can easily switch back and forth between radar sites and products ranging from normal reflectivity images, to velocity images to check for possible tornadoes, and estimated rainfall data.  If you ever get the gusto to storm chase, this app would probably prove invaluable.

MyWeather Mobile ($1.99)
This app is definitely used a lot less frequently than my first two selections, but it has several important components.  The first is push notifications for severe weather alerts.  If a severe weather alert (watch, warning or advisory) is posted for one of the cities you saved in the app, your iPhone will alert you as soon as it is issued in a way similar to receiving a text message.  Another feature I like is the ability to customize a list of cities on the home page of the app which shows the current weather, temperature and if there are any valid alerts for that city.  By selecting each one, you can easily see the forecast for any of those cities.  The radar and graph features in the app leave a bit to be desired, but nonetheless this is an important app in my toolbox, especially in severe weather situations.

WeatherBug Elite ($0.99)
And finally an app that many of us may already have on our computers, except this is an incarnation which I believe to be a little bit better (no annoying chirping sound!).  WeatherBug Elite is the ad-free version of the free app which provides you quick and customizable access to WeatherBug's network of neighborhood weather stations and cams.  The interface which delivers the forecast and severe weather warnings is also easy-to-use and well designed.  While not my top iPhone weather app, I'm sure it will be for you if you're checking out weather conditions delivered straight from your son or daughter's school.

Now what if you aren't willing to pony up the cash for something you can get for free via mobile internet browsing.  I don't blame you now that I realized I have spent quite a bit more than one usually would on programs that are only a few megabytes in total.  Luckily, the App Store has several free apps that would satisfy the needs of many mobile weather enthusiasts.  The one I recommend is the AccuWeather.com app, which provides quick access to AccuWeather's forecast and alert products.

So what's your favorite mobile weather app?  Sound off by commenting and I'll see you next time for another edition of Rain Delay.
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