Features in a Good Weather App
04-24-2018
Author: in Education
Before moving into an RV, my wife and I didn’t have to check much in the way of weather on a daily basis. We really only needed to know if it was going to be hot or cold. Depending on the season, we had a pretty good idea what the answer was without looking at a weather app or the TV. That all changed when we moved into our RV. In our three years traveling the country in a 26-foot motorhome, we have learned the importance of checking weather on a daily basis and what features are most helpful in a weather app when interpreting the weather.
We use the NOAA app and the Weather Underground app to track wind speed. If there are going to be sustained crosswinds of 20mph or higher, we will usually try to stay put until the wind slows down. Sometimes that means losing a few hours to even a full day of travel. We chose this lifestyle to explore and have fun. We aren’t doing either if we are expending all of our energy and focus just to stay on the road.
Everyone seems to have their own preference when it comes to the sites and apps they use. What is your favorite weather app?
Related Read: Weather Apps and Websites for RVers
Wind Speed and Direction
Besides knowing the temperature outside, the wind speed and direction are necessary to know on travel days. Every RV is different in its shape and size, so each one will handle differently in the wind. Essentially, an RV is a giant box and at times makes a better sail than a vehicle. For us, driving in winds higher than 20mph is unpleasant.We use the NOAA app and the Weather Underground app to track wind speed. If there are going to be sustained crosswinds of 20mph or higher, we will usually try to stay put until the wind slows down. Sometimes that means losing a few hours to even a full day of travel. We chose this lifestyle to explore and have fun. We aren’t doing either if we are expending all of our energy and focus just to stay on the road.
Weather Alerts
There are places in this country that have consistent weather patterns. Anyone can predict the weather. In these areas, nature just picks something like rain, heat, or snow and sticks with that for 12 to 24 hours at a time, maybe longer. Other places seem like the weather changes every 12 to 24 minutes. It's crucial that our weather app has the capability to send alerts at any time.Related Read: Best RV Travel Apps that You Need Today
Multi Day Forecast
Ideal weather apps are accurate with weather forecasts throughout the day and subsequent days. If I’m planning a road trip five days from now, today’s weather doesn’t help me much. It is therefore important that any weather app I choose should have a pretty reliable seven to ten-day forecast.True local weather
One reason I use Weather Underground most often is the fact that it has the ability to get reliable local weather by receiving information from over 30,000 personal and amateur weather stations. This is important for locations that experience a gamut of weather phenomenon within a short distance. Las Vegas is known for this. I have seen it flash flooding in one part of the city while other areas of the city were sunny and dry. A practical app will use your GPS location to get weather from the closest station and give you the true local weather.Everyone seems to have their own preference when it comes to the sites and apps they use. What is your favorite weather app?
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Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
