Software wishlist! If you could help design a weather application (mobile or desktop), what would you want to see in it?

[Garrett Weaver]

Hey y'all! My name is Garrett. Professionally, I am a programmer, but I have been chasing/spotting storms for years, and have impassioned with the field of meteorology for as long as I can remember.

I have lots of motivation for wanting to make a good weather app, but I am also wanting to make something that would actually be useful to you as weather enthusiasts/professionals, without reinventing something that is already done well. I know what I want and use, but I am curious what as to what you'd like to use!

So if there are things that you wished were available, or wish was done better, I'd love to hear about it! If anything, it would be interesting to talk about what your thoughts are on the current set of apps available (RadarScope, GRLevelX, AWIPS)

 

[Todd Lemery]

A one stop shop for chase day of models, satellite, radar, mapping and tracking. My ultimate site or app would have roughly 50 different model loops that load quickly like Tornado Target. It would have GOES satellite. A must would be a fully functional radar like Radar Scope too. The mapping would include an option for you to save offline maps for when you lose signal. A built in route tracker would have to be there too, if only just for fun. All of this would include your current position on everything to make it more useful and functional.
As long as this is a dream, you would also get paid to use it. If that doesn’t work, being reasonably priced would be good too.

 

[Garrett Weaver]

A one stop shop for chase day of models, satellite, radar, mapping and tracking. My ultimate site or app would have roughly 50 different model loops that load quickly like Tornado Target. It would have GOES satellite. A must would be a fully functional radar like Radar Scope too. The mapping would include an option for you to save offline maps for when you lose signal. A built in route tracker would have to be there too, if only just for fun. All of this would include your current position on everything to make it more useful and functional.
As long as this is a dream, you would also get paid to use it. If that doesn’t work, being reasonably priced would be good too.

Thanks for the input! I will put all of that under consideration!

 

[Adam Lucio]

Something that would allow you to track your GPS movements for the day and create a history trail. Bonus if there was a way you could download radar archives and then create an animation of your GPS icon's movements on a chase along with the radar loop. I know this can be done now but its a huge pain in the arse especially for the non tech savvy. I'd be the first customer in line if there was a simple application for this

 

[Garrett Weaver]

Something that would allow you to track your GPS movements for the day and create a history trail. Bonus if there was a way you could download radar archives and then create an animation of your GPS icon's movements on a chase along with the radar loop. I know this can be done now but its a huge pain in the arse especially for the non tech savvy. I'd be the first customer in line if there was a simple application for this

That's not a bad idea!

 

[Ben Holcomb]

The SpotterNetwork could use some help with development of mobile reporting apps. @John Wetter

The GPS log idea is pretty easy. I'm already incorporating it on a Google map on my website using gps logs I keep.Adding radar tiles to go over the map wouldn't be too bad of an idea I suppose.

 

[rdale]

I vote for Ben's idea SpotterNetwork really needs something newer and better suited.

I'd be concerned about developing the Swiss Knife of apps When you try to do a LOT of things, often what ends up is you do an okay job at most of them, suck at a few, and are great at none. After the initial high of "Wow this app is great" wears off, then you find a better app to display model data, a better radar viewer, etc and you never use it again.

Concentrate on what things you can be GREAT at. It's going to take a LOT to beat Weather Lab / RadarScope as a radar viewer. Don't jump into that fray unless you're serious.

 

[Greg Ansel]

If you have a map/road overlay with GPS, have real-time construction/closures/traffic flow as well as road types (dirt, paved). Most map overlays are weak and don’t pull data from states’ 511 road conditions.

 

[ScottCurry]

I vote for Ben's idea SpotterNetwork really needs something newer and better suited.

It's going to take a LOT to beat Weather Lab / RadarScope as a radar viewer. Don't jump into that fray unless you're serious.

I for one wouldn't mind someone taking over PYKL3 and improving some SpotterNetwork features.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

Radarscope with google maps.

 

[Garrett Weaver]

Thanks for the insight y'all! Keep it coming!

 

[Garrett Weaver]

I vote for Ben's idea SpotterNetwork really needs something newer and better suited.

I'd be concerned about developing the Swiss Knife of apps When you try to do a LOT of things, often what ends up is you do an okay job at most of them, suck at a few, and are great at none. After the initial high of "Wow this app is great" wears off, then you find a better app to display model data, a better radar viewer, etc and you never use it again.

Concentrate on what things you can be GREAT at. It's going to take a LOT to beat Weather Lab / RadarScope as a radar viewer. Don't jump into that fray unless you're serious.

Thank you, for that! I agree! That's one of the reasons why I am asking what other people see as deficiencies so I can focus on something.

 

[Steve Miller]

Something that would allow you to track your GPS movements for the day and create a history trail. Bonus if there was a way you could download radar archives and then create an animation of your GPS icon's movements on a chase along with the radar loop. I know this can be done now but its a huge pain in the arse especially for the non-tech savvy. I'd be the first customer in line if there was a simple application for this

I use the AllTrails app for my offroading adventures and I think it would do a fantastic job for chasers who want to record their route, log images, and quickly share. The only drawback is it's all smart device-based so uploading hi-res imagery from other cameras isn't a thing - yet.
Here is the output from a trail I drove last summer as an example: Yankee Boy

 

[Tony Laubach]

I'm gonna second the idea of being able to download radar data with your GPS history. Being able to do that I think would be a HUGE selling point for chasers.

 

[K. Gentry]

There can be 2-5 minute gaps between radar outputs, depending on the mode the radar is in. Not sure if it exists in some software already, but it'd be cool to have a real-time (and I mean every second) extrapolation of the radar data to fill in the gap between scan updates. I believe such would be a potential assist to chasers. I feel that TV mets could strongly benefit from a feature as such to better spatially interpret and communicate a threat. Also, it may help the reality to viewers at home of the approaching dangers at hand; that a storm is moving. The met can tell a viewer that the supercell is moving NE at 45mph, but all the viewer sees is a still image that could be 1-5 minutes old.