Weather Sources...

dmoskaluk

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Not sure if this is the right place but it's not really about presenting of Apps & Widgets...
In this era of mergers and buyouts and take overs, lots has happened in at least the US on this front. I really miss 'Intellicast' which was swallowed by Wonderground/ IBM Weather Channel - as part of its stable. Intellicast was the 'civilian' version of a Weather Outfit called 'WSI' which was available & I believe still is, to corporate entities for a fee. Our airline dispatch / flight planning used it extensively and we had as pilots, a dedicated Web entry with username and password to access it on personal devices. It actually was one of the first things which was 'wiped' on my retirement in 2008.
But the Intellicast site used to use many of even the same logos and provide a good sampling of WSI products for free - where WSI itself was actually very pricey.
EWeatherHD does show Intellicast, as a default source option with option for all locations or can show it or the European Foreca for any specified location. So at least part of it still exists.
 
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imwjl

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In past posts you argued with me against services that use multiple data sources. I haven't been in Caribbean since a year ago now but on Jamaica and Grand Cayman Dark Sky and Forecast Advisor and I believe others used multiple sources. My Radar Pro started out as a project from an avionics firm and it's general forecast is usually good. Ventusky shows so much data that you can make your own forecasts. University Of Wisconsin's amazing RealEarth mobile version seemed to suffer for a bit within the past year but overall that's a system that lets you put 500+ data layers on a Google Map. U Irvine's iRain specializes in precipitation and has crowd sourced data on top of their own.

I have a feeling your location will create challenges because much of the good weather systems are funded by commerce directly or indirectly. I know one of the RealEarth data scientists and he points out that even research funded by government is driven by commerce - ag, transportation etc....
 

dmoskaluk

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OK - my assessment of several apps still stands but it's usually a location issue where accuracy and update is concerned. Many more apps ( usually in their upgrade/pay/pro versions which if accuracy is good I will use) now offer selectable sources. My Radar Pro' is great for display and I've often talked to its developers about local accuracy of both its radar display ( excellent but often a simulation based on satellite and algorithm nonetheless-very good.) It's forecast information has improved - but I hate to say still often is way off here in B'dos. It's my 'go-to' for a 'picture' though. Hello Weather now with upgrade offers several choices which I regularily cross check. Once I get past their display, I can choose from one of 6,DarkSky,Accuweather,AerisWeather,ClimaCell, Foreca,and IBM Weather Channel. Regular csosschecks show a wide variety of results, not a surprise.
Today Weather now offers Openweathermap.org.( UK) Weatherbit.io ( US) Dark Sky, Accuweather, YR.no ( Norway) Weather.gov ( US) BOM ( Australia). MeteoFrance, Weather.gc.ca. So comparisons are available and one can compare on one page.
The Dark Sky situation is a bit different, and at least from here, since being swallowed into Apple, have gone from among the least accurate of those I mentioned, to among the best (?) When I contacted them quite a while ago about their App not being on the Canadian App Store ( or the admittedly very limited B'dos App Store) I was told that it was issues of them being unable to get direct Govt weather information, here OR Canada - and I'd suspect many other countries. They suggested use of their browser page which is fine too, but until whatever happened re Apple, was as wonky as any app where they were selected as source - but of course I speak only about here. Now it's actual weather is accurate and within maybe an hour of what's really going on which was far from the case previously.
My general assessment of an App is appearance based, looking for a clean professional display. The source overrides that though, and my yardstick is exactly what I often used when flying if I had the chance ie in thunderstorm areas, daytime, '1 peek out the windscreen is worth about 1000 sweeps on the radar. One needs both! But I will now assess actual weather and trend, then check all the sources I have, choosing the closest match and the App which uses it.
My prefs now are Dark Sky driven, then Openweather.org, then Weathebit.io, then Foreca.
For the life of me I can't say why the reports and forecasts in IBM Weather Channel & Wonderground are acceptable but mediocre re Accuracy, BUT the rain alerts on the Weather Channel are spot on and accurate to the minute most of the time.
I imagine there will always be changes as we move forward and what I see here might be quite different than the performance of the same apps in different countries and local positions. My amazement with Weather Widget Fuji is that in its basic version it's just that. BUT if upgraded it offers so many additional custom features to bring it to the top of my list. With it I found that 'no ads' wasn't really the drawing feature but the full 'bell & whistle' of its custom displays. It can be an unobtrusive small app for home or today screen but opens into a full- featured tool when tapped.
I realize that work spoiled me a bit - but the good presentations were then PC based in an office environment ( dispatch & Flight planning) The most technically advanced cockpits I used were 90's generation, full glass, but weather, other than radar, could still only be supplied as essentially up-linked text message- from a ground based dispatcher, or 'canned selection' of actual or forecast text options . I imagine that has likely changed since I've ben gone since 2009. This is why I appreciate crisp, professional grade weather in the palm of my hand - especially what I find great with WWFuji Even it's Windy.com based Radar display is useable.
You are quite correct about government funding driven by commerce and transportation which is among the reasons the UK & Europe with more dependence on the shipping industrys are heavily invested in weather technology as a 'group'.I
 
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bakron1

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I have been using WeatherBug since my early Blackberry days. Always reliable and a solid interface.

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dmoskaluk

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I had WeatherBug several years ago - downloaded it again to compare it's accuracy here in the tropics. I find that when I run one app against another ( various sources too as many are amalgamated now) some are better at 'what is', others at 'what's coming' Both are important to build the picture.
 

dmoskaluk

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I have been using WeatherBug since my early Blackberry days. Always reliable and a solid interface.

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Thank you Bakron1. I now use WeatherBugs widget on my today screen as an entry point to the main App in my weather folder or app library. Much in the same way I use a homescreen folder to access Weather Widget Fuji for their predictive information and graphs.
 

dmoskaluk

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Only downside I've tripped over with Weather Bug is likely a 'local issue' in the no matter which location I choose, as my home area IS among the choices, it only displays weather for what is probably the only site it has in the island, the International Airport. In other areas it most likely can use ' non-airport' data but apparently not here, which is compounded with the 'micro climate' in which the airport location as really not representative of the island weather. It's significantly drier and hotter - sort of 'Barbados Desert' I choose my home area by name about 40 min north of the airport but the Airport weather is always the display.
 

dmoskaluk

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For those using the free version of 'Today Weather' I just tripped over a change when I installed it on my spare phone which has a dedicated Apple ID etc. It installed the app ( A very professional and clean display, - both App & Widget) but has changed the single source of data. It used to be (if free) on 'weatherbit' ( US I believe) and a very accurate source here- ( Caribbean) except that 'right on schedule every evening' it would drop out on the App and indicate sub-arctic temperatures. This phenomenon would last about an hour or two. The widget would be as it was when this happens ie simply stay at last value. Now the default choice for free app is 'openweathermap' ( UK) which is at least here more accurate and responsive when conditions change. I have a subscription so can pick from many & openweathmap has been my choice over all the others.
 

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