There are many different weather apps and services, but how different is each app’s data?
Where do they get their information from?
Most of the work that goes into weather apps and services is collecting the core data.
Mixing data from different providers means an app can work in more regions.
That’s a lot of generalization and not a lot of specific examples.
The NWS collects surface weather data with manyAutomated Surface Observing Systems, or ASOS.
NWS
There areover 900 ASOS sites in the United States, mostly located at airports.
The FAA hasa map of all observation stations.
The Weather ChannelandWeather Undergroundare both owned by IBM and primarily use weather info from IBM Cloud.
NOAA
Google uses The Weather Channel for weather information.
Apple has been working on its own weather data platform over the past few years.
Those agencies also share data, resources, and expertise between each other.
Google Search uses The Weather Channel for weather data, which in turn is based on IBM Cloud
So, where does your weather app get its information?
The answer is… a lot of places!
Forecasts, radar maps, and other information is much more of a collaborative effort.
