MyWarn App For iPhone and Android

DISCLAIMER:  I have not been paid a single penny by the creators of this app for what I am about to say.  This is an honest evaluation of the app after having used it for approximately a month on three different devices.  Immediately below is the Google Play review.

Downloaded this about a month ago. It took a call to support to get things up and going, but they were great. Very responsive. I spoke with Meteorologist Ryan Stinnett, who is also one of the computer wizards. He walked me through some settings changes and he patiently tested and re-checked until he saw my device on their network. It works as advertised. I have not had the no sound on wi-fi issue, and the location is working. I will say that the location is sometimes slow locking in, but once fixed, it works as advertised. There is truly no more reason to say "The storm struck without warning". A couple of weeks back, this app also sounded the alarm for a tornado warning in my county before the warning text message with the EAS tone from my carrier came through my phone. This is a great tool in tandem with a weather radio. The app is worth the price tag, and if you're a weather junkie, emergency manager, sports official doing outdoor sports, or otherwise have a need to stay aware of weather conditions, you can't beat the functionality. It doesn't bother you until you need to be bothered.

I highly recommend this app for your use, especially if you have work or family responsibilities that require you be more weather-aware than the average citizen.  Even if you don't, you need to have something like this on your smartphone that takes the guesswork out of weather awareness.  The most frustrating thing for meteorologists, emergency managers, and even us weather geeks, is the "...we had no warning" statement, when in fact, there typically is PLENTY of warning (just ask the National Weather Service in Norman, or the TV meteorologists in Oklahoma City when the tornadoes laid waste to Moore and El Reno last month).

This app does the watching and listening for you, and it uses the GPS chip in your smartphone to nail down your location.  It has an easy to read status page that lights up the appropriate watch or warning in effect for your area, as well as telling you if the Storm Prediction Center has your area in an elevated risk for severe weather.

If a warning is issued and you're in the polygon, the device tones off loudly, lights up the correct warning light, and shows you the affected area, along with text of the warning, and immediate steps to take to protect yourself.  If you're in an area with a partner station (they are working on this), you can even tune in to local media for up to the minute information  (I personally use PYKL3 Radar and Pro Weather Alert along with this app because of this blog and associated responsibilities with that and outdoor sports, so I need to see the bigger picture).  If you're not in the polygon - the beauty of it is that you get to keep sleeping or going about your business without interruption.

I did ask Ryan Stinnett, one of the meteorologists that is behind this app if they plan to add winter weather functionality to it.  His answer: "...not right now Mike.  We want this to be a tool to eliminate the 'we had no warning' problem, and address the problem of over-warning, which we feel leads to complacency, and increases risk when life-threatening weather pops up with short lead time to act.  Winter weather is typically well-forecast with longer lead times, allowing people to do the right thing."  He did tell me they are considering adding that in a future release, which in my opinion, would increase the value dramatically, especially up here in the snow belt during the winter.

I really think Bill Murray and crew have done a nice job with this app.  After fire-testing it with recent severe events here in Michigan, they have a winner.

My thanks to Bill Murray, Ryan Stinnett, and the gang at WeatherApps LLC in Birmingham, AL for allowing me to fire test an app that can save lives.  To see the full story of how this app was born, go to MyWarn.com or click the banner on the right.