Things change!
Tap 🔄 Re-check from time to time for updated results -- especially if you're delayed, stopped for a break, or the sky is looking different than expected. The app doesn't update automatically in the background.
What does this app do?
WeatherRoute checks live weather forecasts along each possible route, timed to when you'll actually be at each point. It ranks up to 3 routes by weather safety.
What do the colored dots on the map mean?
● Green = clear. ● Yellow = moderate (rain, fog). ● Orange = high risk. ● Red = severe (ice, snow, storms). Tap any dot for details.
What does the status under Details mean?
✓ All clear -- no weather hazards on recommended route, which is also the fastest.
⚠ Hazards -- check Details tab for which route to take.
Why does it say "weather check failed"?
Tomorrow.io free tier allows 500 checks/day. Each search uses ~15-21. When the limit is hit, results show with available data only.
How do I start navigating?
Tap Open in Apple Maps or Open in Google Maps on any route card in the Details tab.
What are the 🐾 🛑 🔌 buttons on the map?
After a search, tap the Map tab and you'll see three optional overlays. These are aids, not guarantees -- always verify independently before relying on them.
🐾 Dog-friendly -- shows dog parks (purple pins) and named public parks (green pins) along your route. These are reliably tagged in OpenStreetMap. Dog-friendly hotels and restaurants are NOT shown -- OpenStreetMap's tagging for those is too inconsistent to be reliable. For dog-friendly hotels, use BringFido.com. For dog-friendly restaurants, use BringFido.com or Yelp's pet-friendly filter.
🛑 Rest stops -- rest areas, highway services, and fuel stops. Useful for planning breaks, but hours and availability are not verified. Don't rely on this for fuel planning on remote routes.
🔌 EV charging -- US only. Station data from the US Dept. of Energy (NREL). Does not show real-time availability -- a station may be occupied, broken, or removed. Always confirm with your vehicle's native app or PlugShare before depending on a specific charger.
Why didn't any stops show up when I tapped a button?
A few possible reasons:
• The free public APIs (OpenStreetMap, NREL) have rate limits and occasional outages. If you see a warning, try again shortly.
• Dog-friendly and rest stop data is sparse in less-populated areas -- there may genuinely be nothing tagged in OpenStreetMap along your route.
• EV charging is US-only. International routes will return nothing.
• Stops shown are near the route corridor, not necessarily on your exact highway. A short detour may be needed.
What is the vehicle type selector?
Choose your vehicle type before searching and WeatherRoute adjusts the weather risk scoring accordingly. Motorcycles get elevated wind gust and visibility penalties. RVs get extra weight on crosswind risk. Trucks get higher ice and bridge-wind scores. Car is the default.
How do I share a route?
After a search, tap Share in the collapsed search bar. On iPhone it opens the standard share sheet. On desktop it copies a link to your clipboard. Anyone who opens the link will see the same route pre-loaded and ready to run.
What is the Radar button on the map?
Tapping Radar overlays live precipitation radar from RainViewer on the map, showing rain and snow moving toward your route right now. This is real-time data, not a forecast. Use it alongside the weather dots to see what is actually approaching.
What is "Best day this week"?
After a search, the Details tab shows the next 5 days scored by weather risk for your specific route, assuming a 9am departure. Useful when you have a flexible travel window and want to pick the day with the clearest conditions.
What is the departure time slider?
The slider under "Best time to leave" lets you drag through the next 12 hours and see the weather risk update live -- no extra API calls, it uses already-fetched data. The route cards and map dots update as you drag so you can see exactly how conditions change hour by hour.