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There are plenty of apps and tools available for tracking weather and viewing forecasts. K-State meteorologist Chip Redmond shares which weather tools he urges people to use with caution and which option he considers the most reliable for monitoring conditions. He also emphasizes the importance of the human element in weather forecasting, noting that expert interpretation still matters.

“Most people have gotten their weather from people on TV or on the radio, which are actual human people giving a forecast that they’ve thought about and deliberated over, providing something of value. It’s easy to understand,” said Redmond.

Redmond said pre-installed weather apps on phones are limited and often only show what they think users want to see, rather than providing the full picture. He noted an example when an Apple weather app reported light rain approaching, but what the app didn’t report was the light rain was associated with a storm dropping softball size hail. “These apps only tell you the information they think you want to know. It’s really important to keep an open mind when you look at that information and probably not rely on it as your mail source,” said Redmond.

He recommends relying on human meteorologists over most weather apps, suggesting trusted local station apps and weather.gov for accurate, real-time forecasts. He also points to the free Everything WX app, which repackages National Weather Service data into an easy-to-use format.