{"id":254064,"date":"2026-01-23T19:12:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/254064\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T19:12:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:12:07","slug":"the-coming-winter-storm-theres-an-app-for-that-but-how-reliable-is-it-and-whats-inside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/254064\/","title":{"rendered":"The coming winter storm: Theres an app for that. But how reliable is it and whats inside?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smartphone weather apps that summarize their forecasts with eye-popping numbers and bright icons may be handy during mild weather, but meteorologists say it’s better to listen to human expertise during multi-faceted, dangerous winter storms<\/a> like the one blowing through the U.S.<\/p>\n

The multistate storm’s<\/a> combination of heavy snow, treacherous ice and subzero temperatures shows why it’s best to seek out forecasters who can explain its nuances via local TV or radio newscasts, online livestreams or detailed websites, said meteorologists interviewed by The Associated Press. The data is changing rapidly before and during the storm, and the distance of a few miles can mean the difference between snow, sleet or dangerous freezing rain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeather apps are really bad at storms that have multiple types of precipitation<\/a> and it really makes messaging hard,\u201d said University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd, a past president of the American Meteorological Society. \u201cApps don\u2019t understand the details of why snow, sleet or freezing rain happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

University of Oklahoma meteorology professor Jason Furtado and other experts said humans are important in these cases, especially those with local expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor extreme weather events, it is especially important to know there are human forecasters interpreting the data and making the best localized forecasts for your area,” Furtado said. “Unfortunately, many of the weather forecast apps use AI methods to either make the forecast or \u2018interpolate\u2019 from larger grids to your hometown, introducing the potential for significant errors.\u201d<\/p>\n

But some apps can be useful, especially those that pair National Weather Service data with meteorologists’ expertise, forecasters said. And they are definitely getting used right about now.<\/p>\n

The Weather Channel app, which is seeing booming traffic this week, uses numerous models, data sources, weather observers and staff, said James Belanger, vice president of its parent company, which also owns the Weather Channel and weather.com. That level of proficiency matters, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an all-hands-on-deck kind of approach that we take,\u201d Belanger said, adding that \u201cnot all weather apps are created equal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apps get much of their information from the National Weather Service and some companies augment it with proprietary information and the well-regarded European forecast models. Many offer forecasts by ZIP code or geographic areas far from weather stations by using software that focuses broader regional forecasts to where the phone is located.<\/p>\n

While there are good apps, especially those displaying National Weather Service warnings and information, many \u201coversimplify uncertainty and present highly precise-looking numbers that imply more confidence than actually exists,\u201d said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini. This type of storm is where apps are weakest because they don’t get nuances, he said.<\/p>\n

Weather apps are good for forecasting nice warm summer days, but not days like much of the country is facing now, said Steven DiMartino of NY NJ PA Weather. The paid online subscription service touts its human expertise with the slogan \u201cMeteorology Not Modelology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem with the weather app is that it just provides data, but not explanation,\u201d DiMartino said. \u201cAnyone can look at data, but you need a meteorologist, you need that human touch to look at it and say, \u2018Hmm, that looks like an error; we\u2019re gonna tweak this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Cory Mottice, a National Weather Service meteorologist since 2014, developed the app EverythingWeather, which uses weather service data, as an easy place for the public to find the latest weather forecasts for their area without navigating the agency\u2019s website. He said it\u2019s \u201cjust for fun\u201d and not affiliated with the weather service.<\/p>\n

The strength of his app, he said, is that the information comes from professional meteorologists at the more than 125 weather service offices. Many apps just use raw computer modeling data \u2013 which aren\u2019t always reliable in extreme events \u2014 with no human oversight, \u201cwhich can really lead to some very misleading numbers or graphics depending on what you\u2019re at,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With his approach, \u201cyou have actual meteorologists that are experts in their field at different places all over the country for that specific area, looking at the data, adjusting it, making the forecast as needed,\u201d Mottice said.<\/p>\n

The popular Weather Channel app uses information from many sources, including the weather service and more than 100 weather models, including those from the U.S. and Europe and their own distinct model. They augment it with input from over 100,000 citizens to help forecast weather events, said The Weather Company’s Belanger. And it’s all synthesized by artificial intelligence to come up with a forecast, he said.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s more accurate than relying on a single model or provider, he said, because AI is able to learn which models are the most accurate in different conditions to help \u201ccreate that optimal forecast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, humans, including a team of more than 100 meteorologists, always have the final say about what goes on the app, Belanger said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that has been a lesson and a principle that we\u2019ve adopted is that it\u2019s the combination of advancements in technology with the human oversight,” that allows the company to provide the best forecasts \u2014 especially in situations like the current winter storm, Belanger said.<\/p>\n

Forecasters also warn against another quick fix for weather information: social media, where hype, misinformation and short takes can spread quickly.<\/p>\n

While social media can help amplify official sources like the weather service, “it\u2019s also where misinformation spreads fastest,\u201d Gensini wrote in an email.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeather is complex, and social media tends to reward confidence and drama, not nuance,\u201d Gensini said. “That mismatch is a real challenge during major events like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kim Klockow McClain, an extreme weather social scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, said people are \u201cgetting misled by hyped forecasts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people are continually exposed to only worst-case forecasts, research suggests they will lose trust over time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Borenstein reported from Washington, Webber from Fenton, Michigan.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Smartphone weather apps that summarize their forecasts with eye-popping numbers and bright icons may be handy during mild…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254065,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[9824,85,46,134986,321,46956,134984,125,134985],"class_list":{"0":"post-254064","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-extreme-weather-events","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-meteorologists","12":"tag-mobile","13":"tag-national-weather-service","14":"tag-smartphone-weather-apps","15":"tag-technology","16":"tag-winter-storms"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}