Is there a favorite Canadian weather app? Most of those being discussed only provide American coverage.
Meteoblue is my favorite and itās based out of Europe. I use it in the US so I donāt know for sure if it covers Canada, but I would assume it does.
Windy covers Canada, and elsewhere (I used it in Costa Rica).
Best Radar app- Radarscope
Second best radar app- Radar Omega
Best weather app- ATsWeather
Second best weather app- Ventusky
How many apps are feeding off the same information base?
I like my Weather Rock just outside the back door .
Weather bug by far. Not only is it hourly but it also focuses on lightning to. I like that because I can see at a glance in an old-fashioned radar format exactly where the lightning strikes have happened and as they happen!
I get a lot of lean back from my friends on this program saying that itās not accurate. I donāt believe any program is accurate. That being said I found that over the last five years that Iāve use this program, it has not let me down.)
Many feed off the multiple NOAA sites.
I prefer the marine forecast if Iām planning a paddling trip. Itās updated frequently and has the same info that I hear on my VHF if Iām underway or camped away from cell service.
Agree you can set it so it pops on your first screen without looking elsewhere.
I think they all use the same set of data sources, but there are several. Windy actually lets you shuffle between about 5 or 6 different āmodelsā, or use its own ābest guessā interpolation. Sometimes interesting to see how different the models are. Even the TV weather sometimes show a couple of different ācomputer modelsā if something interesting is happening, and theyāre the same ones Windy lists.
Apps are great for planning and for paddles within cell phone coverage areas. I agree that comparing information from several apps is wise. The data is all coming from the same source and being interpreted through various algorithms, hence the āEuropean modelā or the āGFS modelā.
The trick is to compare the appās predictions to what actually happened with weather that day, literally keep a diary for a month or so. If you do that , youāll find some apps are more accurate for your area than others. All weather is truly local! One thing to remember about those radar apps. They show whatās happening at altitude. They can miss low level cells that can spell trouble for paddlers
But I frequently find myself without cell service, especially on multi day trips, and access to apps and alerts becomes problematic. You have to listen to long loops on the VHF to get weather although the alerts can be useful.
Iāve found that understanding weather and being able to interpret cloud formations, wind shifts and other natural cues is invaluable and doesnāt need batteries. I do carry a Kestrel because barometric pressure is one of the best indicators of changing weather.
If anyone wants to learn more about weather I recommend Mark Thorntonās classes. His website (http://lakeeriewx.com/) is a treasure trove of weather dashboards for all around the country and the Great Lakes. Lots of great blog articles as well. Itās all free. He does workshops on-line, at boat shows and for private groups. He did a weekend workshop specifically for paddlers here in the Chesapeake Bay Area a few years ago that was information dense and well priced.
My Kestrel is great.
Iāve been using Dark Sky for a long time; find that itās quite accurate down to the zip code or neighborhood level. I use it for running/cycling/etc., not specifically for kayaking. It does not have a wind or wave forecastā¦
Itās being integrated into the Apple Weather app at the beginning of 2023. Weāll see what happens after thatā¦
Iāve used Windy too (in Canada) and itās truly global, as my Australian cousin also uses Windy.
Looking at apps for rain on construction site and itās mind boggling how different they are. Rain predictions from 0% on one to 63% and 51% on others 10 hours in advance. WTF
Definitely NOAA, but about 75 % of the time when Iām on the river and need weather info, I donāt have cell service, so I also still carry a battery weather radio. It has all the frequency scan and alert functions that my big one at home has and it is way better than my old Realistic one from the 1970ās. Cost less than $20, so itās cheap insurance.
Iāve used Windy too (in Canada) and itās truly global, as my Australian cousin also uses Windy.
NOAA Marine Weather forecast (I mostly paddle a coastal environment)ā¦the go to authority !!
I also refer to WeatherUnderground as it is very good for an hourly forecast in my region of the Gulf Coast.
I like Windy, however just this afternoon Windy was reporting 8 mph winds and the whole time I paddled the max wind was 4 or 5 at the mostā¦first time I have seen Windy be off that much percentage wise, especially in an āoverā reporting of conditions.
The gov sitesāNWS, NOAAāand the app Windy are my favorites.
There WAS an outstanding app called Storm that I loved. Then it was not useable on my IOS any longer.