Weather NOW: Live Storm Radar

3D globe radar with comprehensive weather metrics

Weather NOW pulls live Doppler radar directly from NOAA and presents it across both traditional flat maps and a rotatable 3D Earth globe. That globe is not cosmetic showmanship. Watching precipitation bands sweep across a continent gives spatial context that a county-level radar tile simply cannot match, particularly when tracking a sprawling winter system or a slow-moving hurricane. Beyond radar, the app stacks temperature, wind, AQI, pollen counts, and UV index into a single interface, plus a 48-hour hourly forecast and a 14-day outlook. For a free utility, the feature breadth is genuinely impressive. The fast city search with smart location suggestions makes switching between destinations painless, a detail road-trippers will notice immediately.

Smooth performance on most devices, connectivity dependent

At 91 MB, Weather NOW sits in a reasonable range for a data-rich radar app, and the install footprint alone does not signal performance problems. The 4.7 store rating across roughly 19,000 reviews suggests the experience holds up consistently for a large, diverse user base, not just a small enthusiastic cohort. Radar rendering on a 3D globe is computationally heavier than a flat tile map, so older devices may notice more warmth or animation choppiness than flagship hardware would. Because the app depends entirely on live data feeds, a weak or absent connection renders the radar layer inert, which is a real limitation in rural dead zones or during the kind of severe weather that knocks out cell service.

Free access to core features with optional widgets

The free entry point removes any financial risk from trying Weather NOW. The core radar experience, the 3D globe, NOAA data, and the multi-metric dashboard, appears accessible without payment. In-app purchases do exist, and the store listing hints that premium widgets sit behind a paywall, but pricing transparency is limited. Users who rely heavily on home-screen widgets for at-a-glance forecasts should investigate exactly what the free tier covers before committing to the app as a daily driver. For anyone satisfied with in-app use rather than widget-based glances, the free version likely delivers strong value relative to paid competitors in the same category.

Check App Store privacy label for data practices

Weather apps as a category typically request location access, which is core to their function, and may also access photo libraries if they allow wallpaper or screenshot saving. Weather NOW's precise data practices are detailed in its App Store privacy label, which is the authoritative source to consult before installing. Look specifically at whether location data is linked to your identity, whether usage data is shared with third parties for advertising purposes (relevant given the app is ad-supported), and what data is collected for analytics. Checking that label takes under a minute and gives a clearer picture than any third-party summary can provide.

Distinctive globe interface with logical navigation structure

The 3D globe interface is a visual centerpiece that sets Weather NOW apart from the grid-and-card layouts most weather apps default to. Navigation between the globe view, hourly forecast, and secondary metrics like AQI and pollen appears logically structured, which matters when someone is quickly checking conditions before heading out. The app carries a 4+ content rating, indicating nothing objectionable in the experience. On accessibility, standard iOS Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support depends on how well the developer has implemented UIKit or SwiftUI accessibility APIs. Users who rely on screen readers or larger text sizes should test the free download before committing, as data-dense map interfaces can be inconsistently accessible across weather apps.

Eight years of consistent updates since launch

Weather NOW launched in July 2018 and received its most recent update in July 2026, placing it among the more consistently maintained utilities in its category. That eight-year track record with ongoing updates is a meaningful signal of developer commitment, particularly for an app whose value depends on live data integrations staying functional as NOAA and platform APIs evolve. Version 2.12.6 suggests iterative refinement rather than stagnation. The combination of a high rating, a substantial review count near 19,000, and recent maintenance activity gives reasonable confidence that the app will continue to receive support rather than quietly drift into abandonment.