Weather Radar Classic
Note: This is the “Classic Edition” of the best selling Weather Radar application that maintains backwards compatibility with OS 2.2. While this application is compatible with OS 3.0, we recommend 3.0 users purchase the full Weather Radar application which features improved graphics and performance.
Weather Radar is the fastest, easiest way to view local weather radar on your iPhone. A single click and the Weather Radar automatically determines your location and finds the closest doppler radar.
You can pan with your finger, zoom in and out with pinching, and even adjust the display preferences if you wish.
If you want to view weather radar for another area, simply specify a zip code to bypass automatic location.
This application requires a network connection, and only works in the United States.
The radar used by the National Weather Service is called the WSR-88D, which stands for Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988 Doppler (the prototype radar was built in 1988). As its name suggests, the WSR-88D is a Doppler radar, meaning it can detect motions toward or away from the radar as well as the location of precipitation areas.
This ability to detect motion has greatly improved the meteorologist’s ability to peer inside thunderstorms and determine if there is rotation in the cloud, often a precursor to the development of tornadoes.
There are 155 WSR-88D Doppler radar in the nation, including the U.S. Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, operated by the National Weather Service and the Department of Defense.