SALEM, Ohio — You are out in the middle of the field. The wind changes direction. The clouds start to roll in.
You know the weather is about to change. But there is no television in sight to tell you what is going to happen next. Do you have time to get that load of hay to the barn? Do you have time to load that last truck of grain before it starts pouring? You grab your smartphone in your pocket. You start logging on to see what the weather will be.
The Farm and Dairy decided to take a look at some of the weather apps available. Staff members tried to come up with some of the best to make the most of your time when it counts.
AccuWeather
AccuWeather is plain and simple for those who want to know the latest but don’t want it flashy.
The app provides hourly, daily and 15-day forecasts which can be integrated with the calendar on your phone. AccuWeather also includes alerts for incoming severe weather such as snow, thunderstorms or high winds.
MyRadar
The MyRadar app loads fast and provides an easy to read radar. The radar provides the information users need for their location and visibly lets users know what weather is rolling in. The high resolution animated radar helps users see the weather details at the closest level. Users can get the current weather and even overlay a current satellite image of cloud cover. The app is easily zoomed in with the touch of a finger meaning users can quickly check the weather in other parts of the country quickly.
The Weather Channel
The Weather Channel app is easy to understand and appears to load quickly even in areas with slow cell speeds. The TWC app provides temperatures, wind and visibility on an hourly or daily basis with an extended 10 day forecast. Interactive maps can display Doppler radar to show rainfall and weather events. Users can also upload images, videos and weather photos.
Weather Underground
Weather Underground depends on a network of 30,000 personal weather stations to develop the local weather forecast which makes it stand out from other apps. The crowd reporting feature allows users to verify forecasts as well as posting sky reports.
Most parts of the app are easy to ready. However, the forecast could be difficult to comprehend because you must slide it in order to see a full seven days.
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration app combines good old fashioned data with new age technology. The app provides up to date accurate information that is easy to understand. The app has a 24 hour weather forecast that is very solid in its predictions. It also provides a seven day forecast graph that visually lets you know the forecast for the week ahead. The radar isn’t as easy to use as others but provides up to date data. The app does offer rain radar to predict when the rainfall will reach your location.
