How to use StormBeacon

Topic 1 / 14

Get started

Find your way around Weather, Radar, Alerts and Locations.

1. Set your location

   Open Locations. Search for a city or street address, choose the matching result, then select Save and use this location. You can give it a familiar name such as Home or Work. GPS is optional.

2. Explore the four tabs

   Weather shows conditions and the forecast. Radar opens the weather map. Alerts lists official messages for your set location. Locations lets you find and manage places. Without a set location, use Radar or Locations first; Weather and Alerts explain that they need a location.

3. Choose a Weather view

   Open Weather and use the second row of tabs just above the main navigation: Now, 24 hours, Week and Details. Now shows the current observation, 24 hours shows the hourly graph, Week shows the daily outlook, and Details expands day and night forecasts. At larger text sizes the four choices wrap into two rows.

   

4. Find Settings and help

   Tap the gear or Settings button. On Radar it is beside the map controls at the upper right. Easy Settings shows common choices; Advanced includes every setting. Your selected view is remembered, and search finds settings in both views. Use How to use StormBeacon to return to this guide.

   

Topic 2 / 14

Find, name and save an address

Follow each stage from address search to a saved place.

1. Choose Street address

   Open Locations and find 1. Find a location. Street address is selected by default. Tap Street address to bring the search input into view. For a town or general area, choose City or coordinates. Switching categories keeps the text you entered.

   

2. Enter an address and choose a result

   Enter the house number, street and city; add the state or ZIP to narrow the search. Pause for suggestions, then select the matching full address. Early suggestions can identify only a street or general area, so check the house number and city before continuing.

   

3. Check the location and give it a name

   The 2. Name and save card shows the selected address and coordinates. Check them and enter a familiar Location name, such as Union Station. Use Edit search to return to your original search text if the result is wrong. Naming a place keeps its full address.

   

4. Save and use it, or save it for later

   Save and use this location saves the place and makes it active for weather and alerts. Save location (do not set as active) adds it to Saved on this device without switching your active place. Choose it later from the location dropdown or saved list. Selecting a search result alone is a temporary preview and does not save it.

   

Topic 3 / 14

Switch or edit saved locations

Use the location dropdown, change a name, or manage up to 12 places.

1. Open the location dropdown

   Tap the location name and down arrow at the top left. Choose a saved place to switch. Tap the header again to collapse the list. Add or manage locations opens the Locations tab.

   

2. Rename or move a place

   In Locations, find the saved entry and select Edit. Change its name, or use the address and map controls to replace its position. Review the result and save your changes.

3. Remove a place you no longer need

   Use Remove on its saved entry. Review any confirmation before continuing. Removing a place is different from hiding its marker on Radar.

4. Save a place without switching

   Use Save location (do not set as active) after searching and naming a place. This also works before choosing your first active location. Weather and Alerts still need an active place; select a saved entry when you are ready.

Topic 4 / 14

Read and share the weather forecast

Use Now, 24 hours, Week and Details, then preview an image before copying or sharing.

1. Read the current observation in Now

   Open Weather → Now. Read the observation time, reporting station and distance as well as temperature, feels-like, humidity and wind. The station may be some distance from your saved place. Refresh conditions requests a new check; it does not make an older station observation new.

   

2. Explore the next 24 hours

   Select 24 hours. Tap or slide across the chart to inspect an hour. Hour by hour opens the list; Show selected hour opens the selected forecast. Clear selection or a tap outside the plot dismisses the readout. With enlarged charts, Scroll enlarged graph moves sideways and Inspect values resumes value selection.

   

3. Read the week ahead

   Select Week. Choose Daily summary or Every 3 hours, inspect the chart, or use Previous day and Next day. Day details and Night details expand the corresponding forecast when available. Throughout the day offers Hourly and Every 3 hours. Three-hour readings are forecasts at those times, not three-hour totals. Dates and times follow the forecast location.

   

4. Expand day and night details

   Select Details, then tap a day or night to expand its written forecast. Tap it again to collapse it. Check the dated period, temperature and precipitation chance. Missing values and gaps mean data is unavailable, rather than zero.

   

5. Preview, copy or share an infographic

   In Now, 24 hours or Week, choose Preview infographic. Opening it requests refreshed weather; check the displayed location, forecast or observation time, and source. Copy image puts the picture on the clipboard; Share image opens the available sharing options. Now and Week also offer Copy text and Share text. The 24-hour panel shares an image. Use Hide infographic to close the preview.

   

Topic 5 / 14

Read and play the radar

Move the map, explore recent frames and return to Current.

1. Move around the map

   Open Radar. Drag to move and pinch or use the + and − map buttons to zoom. These buttons change map zoom; the up/down arrows in Settings expand or collapse groups. Use the target button to recenter.

   

2. Quick layers or detailed controls

   On the mobile map, tap the stacked-layers icon to open the transparent Quick layers picker. Weather and Outlooks contain the current layers; an arrow opens product or day choices. You can still move the uncovered map. Tap the sliders icon, or Detailed · Easy / Advanced inside the picker, for descriptions, presets and adjustments. The desktop browser keeps its Layers button.

   

3. Play or inspect a frame

   Tap Play to animate recent radar. Tap again to pause. Drag the time slider to inspect an earlier frame. The time beside Play tells you when that displayed frame was recorded, not when the app opened.

4. Return to the newest available frame

   Tap the Current icon (a triangle pointing toward a vertical bar) to return to the newest available frame. Tap the scan-time and cache-count pill, or its information icon, for playback details. The count, such as 2/15, shows ready frames for the current view and zoom. A dash means the count is not known yet; a download estimate can appear when space allows. Longer history and preloading controls are under Detailed layers → Advanced → Playback & downloads.

5. Check freshness

   If Incomplete or older data appears, open Details and read which layer is affected. Radar frames and warning boundaries refresh separately. A recent radar time does not prove that every other layer is current.

Topic 6 / 14

Use Quick layers without leaving the map

Choose weather, outlook periods and alert types from the translucent picker.

1. Open Weather or Outlooks

   On Radar, tap the stacked-layers icon. The number shows active layers. Use Weather for radar, satellite, alert areas and other weather products; use Outlooks for severe weather, flood risk, winter impacts, long-range outlooks and drought. Scroll the picker for more choices. You can still move the uncovered map.

   

2. Choose a product or period

   A row with an arrow opens product or day choices. Choose the option, then Done to return to the list. Rows without an arrow switch their layer on or off. Some products are alternatives: switching between them replaces the previous product in that family. Use Detailed · Easy / Advanced for opacity, coverage, forecast periods, legends and explanations.

   

3. Choose alert types independently

   Under Weather, open Watches & warnings. Choose Watches, Warnings, Advisories and Special weather statements separately, or use All or Off. These choices affect map visibility and stay in sync with the detailed controls. They do not change your notification settings. Additional hazard filters can still hide individual types.

   

4. Clear layers or close the picker

   Clear all turns off weather and outlook layers across both tabs. It keeps downloaded radar frames, saved locations and notification settings. Marker visibility has its own control. Close the picker with ×. The sliders icon opens detailed Easy / Advanced controls directly.

Topic 7 / 14

Choose an Easy weather view

Start with Storms, Clouds, Wind, Winter weather or Drought.

1. Open Layers → Easy

   On mobile, tap the sliders icon at the top right of Radar, then Easy. You can also use Detailed · Easy / Advanced at the bottom of Quick layers. The panel stays open while you make selections. Close it to return to the full map. On the desktop browser, use Layers.

   

2. Choose the weather you want to see

   Storms shows precipitation radar; Clouds shows infrared satellite; Wind shows surface wind and moving trails; Winter weather shows expected winter impacts; Drought shows the weekly drought assessment. A preset replaces the visible weather combination and clears hazard filters. It keeps downloaded radar frames.

3. Toggle alert areas separately

   Use Watches & warnings: On or Off to change alert-area visibility without turning off your active weather layer. The visible alert types still follow your Advanced filters.

4. Clear weather shading

   Use All overlays off in Layers to remove weather layers and return to the base map. Saved location markers have their own switch. This does not delete cached radar frames or turn off notification settings.

Topic 8 / 14

Adjust individual weather layers

Find groups, control opacity and understand what each layer shows.

1. Open Layers → Advanced

   On mobile, tap the sliders icon or the Detailed · Easy / Advanced link in Quick layers, then select Advanced. Expand a group with its down arrow. Use the up arrow or All groups to return to the group list. Layers remembers the open group and scroll position when you close and reopen it. Use Find layers to search for a product or radar setting.

   

2. Choose a product and its period

   Turn on the product you want. Where days, time periods or coverage choices appear, choose one and read its dates. Radar playback does not change every outlook or assessment to the same time.

3. Adjust opacity and read the key

   Lower opacity makes more of the base map visible through the shading. At 0%, an enabled layer can be invisible. Use the displayed legend or layer details to interpret colors, units and dates.

What the layers show

Radar & map

Recent radar echoes, primary radar selection and map presentation. Composite and Reflectivity are alternatives, not two products to stack.

Weather satellite

Cloud imagery. Infrared can show cloud patterns day or night; cloud shading is not a rainfall measurement.

Temperature shading

A temperature field with a color legend. Read its units and valid time. It is not the same as a long-range temperature outlook.

Rain, snow, clouds & feels-like

Forecast rain, snow and ice amounts cover the displayed six-hour period; they are not storm totals. Precipitation chance covers a 12-hour period. Dew point, feels-like temperature and cloud cover describe the selected time. Recent rainfall is a radar estimate, while Snow depth analyzes snow already on the ground. Read the product legend, units, coverage and date; use the detailed controls for the available time periods.

Wind & pressure

Surface wind, pressure and supported related overlays. Moving trails illustrate flow; check product units and time.

Watches, warnings & discussions

Official alert areas and supported SPC discussions. Tap an area for its details. Alert text remains authoritative when a map boundary is pending.

Hazard filters & overlay appearance

Choose watches, warnings, advisories and special statements, plus individual hazard types. A hidden type remains hidden until you change its filter or use a preset that resets filters.

Topic 9 / 14

Explore outlooks, winter impacts and drought

Separate forecasts and probability outlooks from weekly assessments.

1. Choose the right Advanced group

   For longer-range conditions, open Temperature & precipitation outlooks. For storm risk, use Severe-weather outlooks · SPC. For heavy-rain risk, use Excessive rainfall · WPC. Winter impacts and U.S. Drought Monitor each have their own group.

2. Turn the product on and select a period

   Choose the offered day or range, then check the issue date and valid period. For winter impacts, choose Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 or the combined three-day period. Set opacity high enough to see the shading.

   

3. Read the legend before comparing colors

   Temperature and precipitation outlooks describe chances of above- or below-normal conditions, not a specific temperature or rainfall total. Winter impacts show expected effects of winter hazards, not snowfall amounts. Drought is a weekly assessment, not a forecast.

Topic 10 / 14

Read alerts and use graphics

Open official details, preview graphics and find local office updates.

1. Open Alerts for your set location

   Choose a location, then open Alerts. Check the last-checked time. Tap an alert card to read its headline, affected area, time window and full instructions. You can also tap an alert area on Radar.

   

2. Preview or share a graphic

   In alert details, select Preview infographics when available. Review the map, time and source labels before copying or sharing. StormBeacon-generated graphics summarize official data; they are not official NWS artwork. Earlier official graphics remain labeled as earlier versions.

3. Read office updates without opening an alert

   Tap Office weather updates on Alerts. Read each post source and date, then open an attached image if present. An unofficial alert bot can attach a text image; that is different from an official NWS watch or warning map.

4. Choose notification settings separately

   Open Settings → Alerts & notifications. Select your alert scope and notification preferences, and allow the operating-system permission when requested. Hiding an alert type on Radar does not change notification preferences.

Topic 11 / 14

Change appearance and text size

Choose a theme, enlarge text and adjust the map separately.

1. Open Display, Units, & Themes

   Tap Settings from any main tab. Expand Display, Units, & Themes with the down arrow. Expand Appearance to see the available themes.

   

2. Choose a theme

   Expand Appearance, then Light themes or Dark themes. Themes are listed alphabetically within each group. Tap a theme to apply it immediately. Collapse the theme list when finished; the saved choice remains in use.

3. Choose a text size

   In Text size & accessibility, select a multiplier up to 2.00×. Text and controls wrap to fit; scroll to reach more content. Your device text settings can also affect the effective size. This guide starts at the same text size and also offers its own temporary text-size button.

4. Adjust units or map appearance

   Use Units for °F/mph, °C/km/h or K/km/h. Under Radar map appearance, Aerial shows the detailed map with roads and geographic features; County shows state and county outlines. Choose Light, Dark or Follow app theme for either style. Find these controls under Settings → Radar or Advanced → Radar & map in Layers.

5. Adjust map brightness without leaving Radar

   Tap the sun beneath the upper-right map controls. Slide to make the background darker or brighter while you watch it change. Radar and warning colors stay unchanged. Tap the sun again, Done, or outside the slider to close it. Your brightness is saved; Reset 100% restores normal brightness.

Topic 12 / 14

Show saved locations on the map

Control pins, names, fading and their position beneath weather.

1. Turn on Location markers

   On Radar, open the sliders icon → Easy and use Location markers: On. The marker preferences are also available under Settings → Radar → Radar map appearance.

2. Choose how names behave

   Always show names keeps the labels visible. Turn it off to let labels fade. Tap a marker to show its name briefly again.

3. Keep weather visible around the marker

   Use Below weather layers and the opacity choices to make markers less obstructive. Tapping a marker briefly brings it forward so you can identify it; it then returns to its normal appearance.

4. Choose among overlapping markers

   When saved locations overlap, tap the cluster to open a small location list and choose the intended place. Tap outside to close the list without switching your active location.

Topic 13 / 14

Manage downloads and background radar

Understand history, cache counts, data budgets and phone differences.

1. Choose history and preloading

   Open Settings → Advanced → Radar, or Detailed layers → Advanced → Playback & downloads. The scan-time pill on Radar opens playback details. Longer history and extra map coverage need more downloaded data. Auto preloading uses unmetered Wi-Fi, Always can use mobile data, and Never pauses history preloading.

2. Review Keep radar fresh while away

   In Settings → Advanced → Radar, choose whether the viewed area continues preparing while you switch apps. It defaults on for new settings; an existing saved choice is preserved. Select a maximum time away and whether to include nearby zoom levels.

   

3. Understand the data limit

   The background budget is 8 MiB in Lite mode or 32 MiB in Standard mode per session away. It is separate from cache storage and is not a daily or monthly allowance. Network overhead and work already in progress can add to actual usage.

4. Review data and backups

   Settings → Advanced → Data, battery & backups contains data controls and settings backups. Clearing cached weather makes the app download that content again; use it deliberately, not as the first response to a brief startup message.

Topic 14 / 14

When something is missing or still loading

Check status, filters, dates and connectivity before clearing anything.

1. Read the status message

   Open Details on an Incomplete or older data banner, or open Layers → Advanced → Updates & sources. Identify which layer is affected and check its own time. A cache counter still rising means more radar frames are being prepared.

2. Check the visible choices

   Confirm that the layer is on, its opacity is above 0%, the correct time or day is selected, and its coverage includes the map area. For missing alerts, check watches, warnings, advisories, statements and individual hazard filters.

3. Let a temporary retry finish

   Provider rate-limit notices and boundary-pending messages can resolve automatically. Keep details open when the message says it will retry. Use Refresh when needed; repeatedly closing and reopening the app can start more requests.

4. Report a persistent problem

   Open Settings → Feedback & bug reports. Describe what you tapped, the layer and time, your app version, and whether it happened after an update or return from sleep. Review the report before submitting. Diagnostics and a reply email are optional. Email or sharing fallback remains available when direct submission is unavailable. Check screenshots for private addresses before attaching or sharing them.