Yes, I use the default Weather app on my phone to get forecast data when I’m planning my clothes for the week. But, there is another weather app that I find particularly helpful for micro-planning i.e. what’s coming to my neighborhood in the next several hours. I’m not sure if this is true everywhere, but in Houston, TX where it can rain in one part of town and never make it to another, getting more localized information can be super helpful!
Sooo, check out MyRadar (available in the Apple Store). A colleague and friend of mine recommended this app when we worked together last year (shout out to my buddy Bryce Cramer) and at first I was a little skeptical. That is until I noticed that he was usually much better prepared than me at lunch and other times during the day when we needed to venture outside the office. Here is how I use MyRadar:
- See up to date activity in my area – You can easily zoom in and out on the radar map that comes up in my home screen to tell you if that non forecasted rain shower you just heard about on the radio is actually going to make it to your location during lunch (should I take the tunnel to lunch or venture out?).
- See up to date activity in other areas – The same technology lets me check out weather at my son’s school to see if he needs a ride or his bike will do.
- See how long weather is likely to last – If it’s raining hard outside, but I can see that there is a break in the weather heading my way, I might spend a few extra minutes at work or shopping at the mall. On the other hand, no sense in waiting it out if its going to get worse.
- Make accessory planning decisions – Umbrella and coat decisions are important if the rain is going to stop by the time I have to get out of the car or that cold front will hit while I’m at work.
While we are on the subject of weather, if you are in or near North Carolina right now, my thoughts and prayers are with you. For those of you who have to deal with flooding, you might find my flood recovery posts (a lot of lessons learned from Harvey) helpful – see Flood Recovery. In the meantime, please stay safe!
Closet Reboot 