WRAL Weather

WRAL has a great weather team and excellent track record in keeping the Triangle informed and prepared for weather events. When I “cut the cable” I didn’t realize how much I would miss WRAL’s weather forecasts. This app has filled the information gap exceedingly well — better than the broadcast format because I can use the app to check weather conditions where family and friends live as well as local conditions. Because the weather can vary so greatly within a 100 miles, the ability to easily access long-range forecast for other locations is invaluable when making travel plans. The only disappointing aspect of the app has been the lack of tracking info on potential tropical storms and hurricanes — that is, I wish the app gave more early warning info on those events.

Edit: Haven't looked at this review in a long while so hadn't seen the developer response that "it isn't the intent of WRAL to 'force' anyone to go online to do anything". Sad to say, that part has only gotten worse. The detailed video is what I'm talking about and now you can only get a brief video without going to the Live News and Weather and wait for the ads to play. In a severe weather event the app and WRAL seem to have improved the availability, otherwise I'm likely to miss the video weather - but I can always find it at ABC 11, so I'm good. (End of updated review, May 2019) WRAL weather reporting is good because of the expertise of the the weather staff. This new app is disappointing because it's clear that it intentionally forces users to go to WRAL online to get in depth reporting, especially video reporting (join us at WRAL online for the details'). When you go to WRAL online you get 10 minutes of ads before you can see any report, weather or anything. That's really bad in a severe weather event. I know you have to pay for things, but it's so much that busy people will walk away. Isn't that what a mobile weather app is all about? Busy people turning to a quick look at the weather? Too bad I too often have to miss the details and go to another source for them.

I miss the old layout of the 7 day forecast. The new version has WAY too many ads. I dislike the fixed portrait orientation and haven’t found a way to adjust it to landscape for my iPad. I also can’t seem to get a good setting on the “special weather bulletin” alerts. I want to know if there is bad weather coming or maybe thick fog in the morning, but I don’t want to get alerts for every time the wind blows or all night long while I’m trying to sleep. I checked the other alerts I want to get, but if there is a special weather statement concerning, say, air quality, and I don’t have “air quality” checked, I still get the alert. The last round of storms we had roll through, I had to finally shut off the audible alerts because they were going off almost every 30 min for lightning advisory updates and flash flood advisories. I don’t need that at 3:00 in the morning, especially since the storm had already passed my area! It would be nice if there was a way to set a schedule for muting non-emergency audible alerts especially if one chooses the special bulletin alerts.