After 2 weeks of winter break, it was time for students to head back to school on January 6th, 2025. However, due to the snowstorm that hit Louisville, JCPS extended the break by a week making the new start date the 13th. Following a 2-hour delay that morning, students were easing back into their routine. However, the weather was still having its ups and downs with freezing temperatures and icy roads. When students were coming back to school, many wondered what the weather would continue to look like. Many students went to check their weather app and wondered why the weather report was different when it was all in the same region.
There are hundreds of weather apps with information from different weather channels and states. It is noticeable that most weather apps in the same location will tell different information. A weather app can include information ranging from the temperature to the climate, and be completely different from another weather app in the same region. One might show rain on the radar, and nothing on another app. The temperatures and climate are constantly changing every hour of the day, so it’s always unpredictable.
Generally, weather apps use algorithms to interpret data. Often pulling data from other resources, the algorithm has limits as well. The data is based on equations that meteorologists believe to be imperfect. Weather apps follow larger regions and might not cover smaller areas outside or in that region. With the weather changing 24/7, apps might be late at receiving and keeping pace with newly added information. Weather apps can sometimes glitch as well, causing an absurd temperature or climate. For instance, the BBC Weather app once showed 18,995 mph of wind before getting fixed, causing many people to question why this happened to occur.
I had the chance to interview Matt Milosevich, one of WLKY’s meteorologists via email. Milosevich works 4:30-7:00 a.m. in the mornings, as well as noon at WLKY. Milosevich earned his bachelor degree in Science and is also a member of the American Meteorological Society. I asked him a few questions that were centered around weather apps and how they receive their information.
As most people see, weather apps can tell a variety of different information on the weather, even in the same region. Why does this occur? Is it because of a different algorithm? Could it be the region in particular?
“Different apps will give different weather forecast information, for several reasons. The biggest difference is different forecast models. There are several different forecast models (computer simulations) that meteorologists use to forecast the weather. Most weather apps only use one of these models for its forecast information. Using only one is problematic, because all forecast models have strengths and weaknesses. The job of the meteorologist is to know and identify the differences to make a more accurate prediction.”
How often do weather apps tell misleading information? Do they glitch or slow down from time to time?
“All weather forecasts have the potential for error. That chance for error increases as time increases. For example, the forecast for today is often more accurate than the forecast for 7 days from now. More than “glitching”, apps don’t have the ability to analyze information and compare it to more reasonable scenarios. For example, the snow and ice we had on January 5th and 6th was forecast on the iPhone app as 19 to 23 inches of snow. This would have set the record for the most snow with any one storm in the history of Louisville. While we did have 9 to 12 inches of snow and ice, the iPhone error was around 50%. Most users would likely view this as unacceptable. Most meteorologists can look at the model data and make a better decision, as to if the highest snowfall totals are reasonable.”
Could the information be trusted, or how can we know when to trust it? Is it more reliable to check news channels?
“I have found that the information on weather apps is more reliable when the weather is quiet and less reliable when the weather is active or severe. I tell everyone that they should find a meteorologist that is a person, has a meteorology degree, and that they trust. We live in a time where apps, social media, etc. give us an abundance of information, but too often is rooted in hype to seek downloads and clicks. Apps can be a great way to get severe weather watches and warnings, but a person can give you far better specifics on the threats of a storm. I believe we are fortunate in our area to have several good meteorologists on our local news stations (WLKY being the best), and National Weather Service office in town. It doesn’t take much searching to find good, reliable information.”
Weather apps are overall helpful to everyday use. A lot of knowledge goes behind weather apps that meteorologists use to give us the best information they know.
