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Exploring the weather has never been more intriguing! Whether you are looking for a quick glance at the 10-day forecast, trying to figure out if lightning is heading your way, or wondering what the pollen count is, you will find out here. From severe weather alerts to moon phases, there are dozens of potential classroom applications; you will not find a more comprehensive or fun free weather app out there.
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App Overview
WeatherBug is more that just a simple app to look at the forecast; you could easily spend hours exploring the different features. Here are some of the highlights.
Now:
- Real-time weather data from the WeatherBug station closest to your current location
- Temperature
- Dew point
- Humidity
- Air pressure
- Sunrise/sunset
- Wind speed/direction
- Severe weather alerts
- Buttons to access Forecast, Radar, Photos, Live Cameras, Spark (real-time lightning strike information), and Pollen
10 Day:
- High and low temperature for the next 10 days
- Forecasted weather conditions (partly cloudy, sunny, thunderstorms, etc.)
- Tap the arrow on the right side of each day to see more details
Hourly:
- Detailed hourly forecast for the next seven days
- Select the day along the bottom of the window or scroll through the data
- Includes temperature, precipitation, thunderstorms, wind, humidity, and dew point
Details:
- Specific information about current conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed, air pressure, and precipitation)
- Includes highs and lows, as well as averages
- Current moon phase image (name of moon phase not included)
- UV index
Other Features:
- Crosshair button at top right allows you to add or change locations
- Bug button at top left brings up a menu with many additional features
- Weather: all of the pages described above
- Severe Weather: alerts and Spark, WeatherBug's own real-time GPS-based lightning warning system
- Media: user pictures, live webcam images, and National Outlook Video
- Lifestyle Forecasts: seven-day forecasts tailored to your interests and health, such as golfing, arthritis, allergies, dry skin, outdoor exercise, and more
- Settings: change your background image or units of measurement
Instructional Ideas
- Project daily when teaching about weather; your future meteorologists can create a weather chart to keep track of temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, dew point, air pressure, and more
- Kids practicing independent living skills can learn to use the forecast to dress appropriately for the weather
- Groups can go outside to collect weather data using a thermometer, barometer, hygrometer, and anemometer, then compare data to WeatherBug; discuss instrument sensitivity and accuracy
- Check severe weather alerts or nearby lightning strikes to ensure safety during recesses
- Calculate day length using sunrise/sunset data
- View weather data for other parts of the country
- Watch the National Outlook Video and discuss reasons for regional differences in weather and climate
- Examine Photos to explore different cloud formations, landscapes, and weather phenomena
Classroom Considerations
- Unobtrusive ads run along the bottom in both the mobile and tablet versions
- Familiarize yourself with all the functions before using in class in order to more easily find what you are looking for
- Search to see if there is a WeatherBug school near you
Pros
- Free
- Unique features
Cons
- Ads are displayed across the bottom of the sceen