The Ultimate Travel Companion: Weather App Recommendations

When it comes to travel, being prepared for the weather is essential. Whether you're driving, flying, hiking, or biking, knowing what the weather has in store for your journey can help you stay safe and make informed decisions. Luckily, there is no shortage of weather apps available to help you do just that. But with so many options to choose from, which one is the best for travellers?

Best weather apps for road trips

Planning a road trip? These weather apps will help you stay ahead of changing conditions and avoid bad weather en route.

Drive Weather: Road Conditions

Best for: RVs, trucks, bikes, storm-chasing

This app offers real-time weather forecasts along your route, helping you to plan ahead and drive with confidence. It uses National Weather Service forecasts to display conditions like winds, temperatures, and radar. You can compare different routes, add stops, and adjust your departure time. The free version includes features like CarPlay, weather details, automatic updates, and a clean interface. The paid version offers additional features like rerouting, a wind speed indicator, severe weather alerts, and more.

Weather on the Way

Best for: Motorcycles, RVs, convertibles

Weather on the Way combines weather and navigation to provide a route forecast for the time you will be driving through. It offers a weather forecast for points along your route, including temperature, conditions, chance of precipitation, and warnings. You can also pick the route with the best weather, choose your departure time, and set waypoints. The app is privacy-focused, collecting no personal information or location data. It works in 70+ countries, with severe weather alerts available in the US, Canada, EU member nations, and Israel.

Highway Weather

Best for: Family vacations, long-haul trucking, RVs, motorcycle rallies

Highway Weather provides travel weather forecasts for your entire trip, giving you the information you need without having to search forecasts city-by-city. It offers free features like comparing forecasts for your trip, getting recommendations for the best departure time, adjusting your departure time to see updated forecasts, viewing live outdoor cameras, and adding rest stops. A subscription is required for the hands-free active driving mode, which provides automatic updates and notifications.

Windy

Best for: Temperature, wind speed, snow, and rain overlays

Windy is a great app to see what the weather will be like along your drive, with different overlays for temperature, wind speed, snow, and rain.

On The Way

Best for: Weather and approximate time along the route

The On The Way app shows weather and approximate time along your route.

Weather app features

When it comes to choosing a weather app for travel, there are several features that can make a big difference in the usefulness of the app. Here are some key features to look out for:

• Real-time weather forecasts: The ability to check real-time weather conditions along your travel route is invaluable. This helps you make informed decisions and plan ahead to avoid potential delays or hazardous conditions.
• Route comparison: Some apps allow you to compare different routes and choose the one with the best weather. This is especially useful if you want to avoid unfavourable weather conditions or want to optimise your trip.
• Departure time adjustments: Being able to adjust your departure time and see updated forecasts is a valuable feature. This lets you plan your trip around potential weather events and decide whether to leave earlier or later to avoid them.
• Weather alerts and notifications: Getting severe weather alerts along your route can help you stay safe and make any necessary changes to your itinerary.
• Wind and precipitation levels: Information about wind speed and direction, as well as precipitation levels, can inform whether it is safe to travel, especially if you are engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking or cycling.
• Traffic cameras: Access to live outdoor cameras along your route can give you a clear picture of the current weather and road conditions, helping you make better-informed travel decisions.
• Global weather forecasts: If you are travelling internationally, an app that provides global weather forecasts for all regions of the globe will be essential.
• Privacy: Some weather apps collect personal information and track your location and routes. If privacy is important to you, look for an app with a strict privacy policy that does not collect or share your data.
• Ease of use and customisation: A clean and intuitive interface can make the app more user-friendly. Additionally, the ability to customise the app, such as by modifying profanity settings or personalising graphs and widgets, can enhance your experience.
• Video content: Some weather apps include a video section that provides additional information about upcoming weather events or general weather-related topics. This can be a useful way to visualise and understand weather patterns.

Weather app costs

Weather apps can be a great tool for travellers, providing detailed and up-to-date information on conditions in real-time. Many weather apps are free to download and use, but some offer additional features for a small fee.

The cost of weather apps varies depending on the platform and the features included. For example, the popular app Carrot Weather offers a free version with basic features, while the Premium tier starts at $4.99 per month and includes additional features such as weather data sources, notifications, customisation options and widgets. Similarly, The Weather Channel app offers a free, ad-supported version, while the Premium Pro tier costs $4.99 per month and removes ads, providing additional features like 15-minute forecasts and 72-hour radar information.

Some apps, like WeatherBug, offer a free version with limited features and a paid subscription to remove ads and access additional features. WeatherBug's paid subscription costs $2 per month or $11 per year. Other apps, like Flowx, are completely free to use but offer an optional subscription to remove ads and support the developer.

There are also weather apps that are entirely free to use, with no additional costs for extra features. For example, Windy offers detailed maps and visualisations of wind patterns and other weather conditions for free, while an annual subscription of $18.99 provides more frequent forecast updates.

In addition to the app costs, it is important to consider the potential costs of in-app purchases and subscriptions. Some apps may offer additional features or content through in-app purchases, which can range from a few dollars to more expensive options. It is also worth noting that some apps may require a subscription to access certain features, such as extended forecasts or customisation options. These subscriptions can vary in cost, ranging from a few dollars per month to more expensive annual plans.

Overall, the cost of weather apps can vary from free to a few dollars per month or year, depending on the platform, features included, and additional subscriptions or in-app purchases. It is always a good idea to review the pricing and features of different apps before making a decision to find the best option that suits your needs and budget.

Weather app accuracy

Firstly, it's worth noting that weather forecasts have improved significantly over the years. According to David Novak, Director of the Weather Prediction Center at the U.S. National Weather Service, forecasts made today about the weather five days from now are roughly as accurate as forecasts made four days out just a decade ago. This improvement is largely due to the increasing sophistication of meteorological models and the ability to incorporate new sources of data.

However, there are still large differences in accuracy between different weather apps, and the app that provides the most accurate forecasts can vary by location. For example, areas with large bodies of water or complex atmospheric circulation patterns may be more challenging to forecast accurately. Additionally, some apps may perform better in certain regions or countries due to the sources of data they use.

The accuracy of a weather app also depends on the specific data sources and interpretation methods used. Most apps rely on data from government agencies, such as the U.S. National Weather Service or the U.K. Meteorological Office, but they may also incorporate data from proprietary weather stations or other sources. Some apps use artificial intelligence to curate their forecasts, while others rely on meteorologists to interpret the data and provide forecasts with additional context and caveats.

Another factor that can affect accuracy is the level of customisation offered by the app. Some apps, like Carrot Weather, allow users to choose their data sources and customise the specific weather information they want to see. This can be particularly useful for users who want more control over the accuracy of their forecasts or who have specific needs that may not be met by a one-size-fits-all approach.

Finally, user reviews can provide valuable insights into the accuracy of a weather app. For example, AccuWeather, Weather Underground, and MyRadar are often mentioned as reliable options for temperature, wind speeds, humidity, and chance of precipitation. However, it's important to keep in mind that individual experiences may vary, and what works well for one user in a particular location may not be the best choice for another.

In conclusion, while weather app accuracy has improved significantly, it is still a complex and challenging endeavour. The "best" travel weather app in terms of accuracy will depend on a variety of factors, including location, data sources, interpretation methods, customisation options, and individual user experiences.

Weather app user reviews

Drive Weather:

"I'm a full-time RVer, and this app has been a game-changer for me. I used to spend hours planning my routes to avoid bad weather, but now I can do it in just a few minutes. The ability to compare different routes and adjust my departure time based on real-time weather forecasts is invaluable. It's also very reasonably priced, with the paid version offering additional features like wind speed and direction, and address-to-address routing."

"I had high hopes for this app, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I found the interface confusing and the customer support lacking. I tried to reach out with some questions, but the developer was quite rude and defensive. I ended up deleting the app soon after installing it."

Weather on the Way:

"This app is fantastic for planning road trips! I love how it combines weather and navigation to provide a precise forecast for my trip. The interface is simple and intuitive, and it even works in dark mode. The developer is also very responsive and helpful. I had a minor issue, and they got back to me within minutes."

"While the app looks nice and has some good features, I was disappointed that it didn't have audible/directional navigation. I know my usual routes, but for longer trips where I need to rely on navigation, this could be an issue. It seems like a basic feature that should be included, especially for the price of the Pro version."

Highway Weather:

"I love using this app as a simple road trip planner and weather app. The ability to factor in stop times as I go is so helpful, especially when planning lodging on the fly. The hourly estimates are very accurate, and the hands-free option is worth the small additional cost. My only wish is that it had a 'éviter les péages' route option like Google Maps."

"I wanted to love this app, but it keeps shutting down when I open another app or turn off my phone screen. It's frustrating to have to input all the information again each time. I've tried reaching out to the developers, but the issue persists."

Windy:

"The Windy app is my go-to for checking wind speed and direction. It has different overlays for temperature, wind, snow, and rain, which are incredibly useful when planning outdoor activities. I can't recommend it enough!"

MyRadar:

"MyRadar is excellent for quick, at-a-glance weather information. I especially appreciate that it's now CarPlay-friendly, making it perfect for checking the weather while on the road."

Frequently asked questions