Take Your Weather Station Mobile

In a previous post, I described some "apps" for the iPhone/iPod Touch useful for nature lovers.  If you have a home weather station and upload data to a Weather Underground account, you can create a nifty, comprehensive weather "app" for your mobile device.

Note that these instructions refer to an iPhone or iPod Touch.  They may also work with an Android, Blackberry or other platform.  The app is nothing more than a web site viewed in your browser.  Give it a try and post a comment here with the results.  I will update this post to include what has been learned.  For simplicity I will just use "iPhone" in the instructions.

UPDATE:  For Android devices see the post "Android Update" (July 20, 2012)


You can create a feed for any Weather Underground station.  To illustrate, I am using my friend WxRanger's station in eastern Washington.  You can substitute the appropriate data for your own PWS:

1.)  Open the internet browser on your iPhone and navigate to the site i.wund.com.  For a different mobile device, try the site m.wund.com.

2.)  In the search box, type the zip code or city name corresponding to your weather station:  grand coulee wa.  The site will open as shown in the photo above.

3.)  If there are several WU stations in your locale, you will need to find the correct feed for your own station.  Scroll down to the button "View Station's History" and move the slider for "Use PWS Locations" to "Yes."

4.)  Scroll down again to the same button and you will see a drop-down listing all the stations in your area as in the photo on the left.  Choose the correct one for your feed.  To verify the station ID, touch "View Station's History" and the top of the next screen will show the WU station ID.

5.)  Once you have verified the correct station ID, touch the plus sign at the bottom of the screen to save the feed as a favorite.  To create the home screen app icon, touch the button "Add to Home Screen."  Give the app a short name of your choosing.

You have now created an app on your iPhone home screen that opens to the current feed for your personal weather station.

If you have a website listed at your Weather Underground account, you will find a link to it in your app as shown at left.  If you use a Blogger site, be sure you have activated the mobile format option:

Settings »
          Email & Mobile »
                    Show mobile template » Yes


To add the South Fidalgo feed, enter anacortes wa in step 2, and select South Fidalgo Island from the drop-down in step 4.



This app turns your home weather station into a sophisticated mobile weather tool.  You can toggle between "View Station's History" and "Current Conditions" to find radar, NWS warnings, forecasts, station charts and more.  Hey WxRanger, looks like a nice day there in Grand Coulee, chilly and a little breezy, but nice clear skies.  Could be worse.