Thursday, August 28, 2008 -- 8:01 p.m. -- at my desk

**UPDATE: I just noticed that if you go to Weather Underground's regular iPhone site at i.wund.com, you can still access all the tropical weather information along with oodles of U.S. severe weather information. This most recent update to this site is just really nicely done.**

Currently, even the weather apps that I use every day don't cover tropical weather. I'm sure they will at some point, but until they do, I need an alternative for my fix.

And considering there are people in places like New Orleans who are looking for more than a fix -- they are relying on it for their livelihoods -- now there's a great way to keep track.

The already great Weather Underground site is optimized for the iPhone at i.wund.com and now tropical weather is optimized at i.wund.com/tropical. You'll find tropical discussions, maps, tracking -- everything that you'd normally associate with tropical weather in one really convenient place.

I think what Weather Underground is doing is great, especially now. And I think the people creating and updating any weather app can learn from Weather Underground and remember that tropical weather coverage is a pretty important piece of the puzzle.

Let me know what you think of Weather Underground's work ... I'm a big fan.

Thanks for calling.

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weatherunderground definitely has the best iPhone optimized site. I asked them if the plan to release a native iPhone app and they confirmed that it is currently being worked on. I can gurantee that this will be one awesome weather app.

SCOTT"s REPLY: Well, that's very useful information. I think competition is always good. It keeps everyone on their toes.

Scott,

Thanks so much for the tropical weather info. I have been waiting and hoping something like this would appear on Apple's App store. This will do though. Thanks again!

Paul

SCOTT'S REPLY: Of course, Paul ... I do hope that an app gets to it too -- because I really prefer apps to Web sites. But ... Weather Underground really does a nice job with this. It's the same information you can get on the regular Web site, but it's formatted perfectly.

My original point still stands ... anyone who creates a weather app has to understand that severe weather -- whether thunderstorms or tropical in nature -- are a very key feature.

Thanks for the post. I live in Mississippi and we are currently preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. This will help because I'll need all the resources possible over the next few days.

SCOTT'S REPLY: I join you in hoping for the best.

wow! you have full bars on 3G, congrats!

SCOTT's REPLY: I do in certain parts of downtown Chicago. Here on Michigan Avenue, I do.

Very cool-didn't about them. Just bookmarked both sites.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Of the iPhone-optimized Web sites, no one could ever hold a candle to Weather Underground. And regardless of what I've written here regarding the current state of weather apps, if Weather Underground actually releases a serious weather app, I think it's got a great chance of doing it perfectly.

Right now, it has some sort of weather meets hot or not thing going on and, frankly, I don't even get it. Well, I get it, but I think they are capable of much more.

Being along the Gulf Coast, this webapp couldn't have had any better timing. It's definitely a useful little tool. I'm hoping MyWeather takes a quick lesson on this and adds Tropical Weather functionality to its app.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Indeed ... MyWeather and any other weather app already out there or planning on coming on the scene could take a page from Weather Underground's well-timed and thought out move.

Thanks for this post. I'm evacuating New Orleans on Sunday and suspect that bookmarks like this on my iPhone will be critical.

SCOTT'S REPLY: Indeed, Jeff. Also ... when you are looking at the tropical weather site, the tropical weather blog is written by someone who appears to really know his tropical weather -- I don't know him, but the insight I gain about storms like these is great.

That said, Jeff, I wish you and your family the best ... here's hoping the darn storm just fizzles out before it hits anyone!!

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