🛰️ Weather Apps + Services

 

Whenever you are planning an outdoor activity, checking the weather and forecast should always be one of the first steps in your process. You never know when a thunderstorm could roll through the beach or a snowstorm in the mountains, and the last thing you want to do is get caught in a storm that you are unprepared for.

While there are a ton of options for you to choose from, there are generally a few that stand out amongst the rest. These are the apps and services that allow you to drill down to forecasts by the minute, plan your trip 24, 48, and 72hrs in advance (or longer), and stay connected while you're offline.

While weather forecasting is still an imperfect art, we've never lived through a time where there have been more sensors, satellites, and weather stations telling us about the world around us. We believe that checking the weather before you leave your home and making a plan is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself safe, keep others safe around you, and ensure that you are maximizing your enjoyment of the outdoors. Below, you'll find our favorite weather apps and services for 2021.

Weather Underground (Android; iOS: Free) https://www.wunderground.com/

• An excellent app that relies on a network of more than 30,000 local and amateur weather stations, providing real-time and hyper-local forecasts. You can verify data using the crowd reporting feature and set up notifications to receive alerts and forecasts up to 10 days in advance.

Dark Sky (iOS: $3.99) https://www.darksky.net/

• Hyper-accurate local weather forecasting. So good that Apple purchased the company to improve its own iPhone weather app.

The Weather Channel (Android; iOS: Free) https://weather.com/

• The Weather Channel app provides you with a wealth of meteorological data including temperature, precipitation, doppler radar, and extended 10-day weather forecasts, among a host other features. It also includes social sharing features for users to upload photos, tweets, videos, reports, etc. This is one of the more classic weather services out there.

AccuWeather (Android; iOS: Free) https://www.accuweather.com/

• An excellent app that provides hourly, daily and extended forecasts than can be integrated with you calendar. Known for its "MinuteCast" feature that gives you minute-by-minute forecasts for your location over a period of two hours.

Weatherbug (Android; iOS: Free) https://www.weatherbug.com/

• Another great weather tracking app. This service pulls data from weather services, local tracking stations and satellites, providing real time updates and forecasts for your area.

Buoyweather (Android; iOS: Free) http://www.buoyweather.com/

• Longtime favorite of boaters/sailors who need accurate marine weather forecasts anywhere in the world.

NOAA Weather Radar (Android; iOS: Free)

• Rain forecast + storm alerts. Offers the usual array of weather forecasting and tracking features.

NOAA Marine Weather (web only) https://www.weather.gov/marine/

• Comprehensive marine weather forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service. Similar to Buoyweather but managed by the federal government.

Mountain Forecast (web only): https://www.mountain-forecast.com/

• Weather forecasts for mountain ranges around the world.
  • The cool thing about Mountain Forecast is that you can choose between different elevations when planning your trip. For example, if you know you want to summit a peak in the early morning/afternoon and camp lower down on the mountain that evening, you can check the forecast for both locations and know what to plan for. Of course, you'll have to generalize this data as you won't be summiting/camping at the exact elevation of the forecast provided, but this level of detail can give you a better understanding of the conditions you'll need to plan for. This service allows you to have relatively accurate weather and temperature forecasts for the duration of your trip on any mountain in the world - days in advance. Here is an example from Mount Evans in Colorado:

Gaia GPS (Desktop and Mobile version; Android; iOS) https://www.gaiagps.com/

• Our favorite GPS app for any outdoor activity. With a yearly subscription ($36) you can overlay NOAA-based weather maps on your planned area of recreation and save this information directly to your phone. We couldn't imagine planning our trips without this tool and highly recommend it to all of our clients. Even the free version is best-in-class.

A special note on GPS + Weather...

One of the most important advancements in outdoor recreation technology over the past few decades has been the ability to retrieve weather reports while you are in the field. Specifically, using a GPS communication device (if you have one) to look at weather forecasts for the next 24, 48 and 72hrs. This function can be incredibly important when you're in the mountains as storms can whip up in a minute and stifle your best laid plans. Especially in the winter when blizzards and snowstorms can cause dangerous conditions.

As of this writing, there are only a handful of GPS communication devices that can retrieve weather reports in the field. Most of the these fall under the Garmin line of InReach devices or similar products like the Bivystick. And while we recommend carrying a GPS device anytime you are in the backcountry or spending an extended amount of time outdoors, we don't think these devices are necessary for overnight or day trips (generally). Using one of the weather apps/services mentioned above and planning ahead should cover all your bases.

However! Since we are technophiles and assume you may be too, here is a link to the best GPS communication devices as reviewed by the outstanding folks at Outdoor Gear Lab. Please note that most handheld GPS units can only track your position, waypoints, and route; a GPS communication device is required to send/receive messages and weather reports in the field. We'll do a full rundown of the differences soon.

Stay safe out there!