# The Light Watch — Photography Weather > Visualize photography-specific weather conditions and receive custom alerts. (iPhone/iPad app by Shout Out Technologies Inc.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-light-watch/id1500139988 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Shout Out Technologies Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/946754650) - Category: Weather, Photo & Video - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.92/5 from 12 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 74 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2020-05-29 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-light-watch/id1500139988/reviews.md ## What is The Light Watch? Don’t read the weather, visualize it! - Base map layers include: Cloud Cover, Wind Speed, Chance of Precipitation, Storminess, Temperature, Humidity and Aurora - Extended Map Layers further customize your map by adding animated overlays for: Aurora, Snowfall, Rainfall, Wind (direction & intensity), and extreme temperatures (cold/hot) - Choose from multiple weather sources (NOAA, Open Weather Maps, weatherstack) - Consistent color grades are used across the map layers, making them easy to read. - Mark locations and quickly check conditions - Deploy watches to be notified when specific conditions are forecasted - Get a detailed forecast for any location on the planet - Generate forecasts across your marked locations spanning multiple days - The Smart Panel provides an easy to read summary of weather conditions - Flip between weather sources to get a second opinion Weather is the biggest factor between you and the natural light. Get outside with The Light Watch! Want specific light? - Advanced weather forecasting for conditions: Cloud Light, Light Rays, Crepuscular Rays, Glow, Above the Clouds, Rainbows, Forest Light, Aurora, Fog and more - Forecasts for conditions requiring multiple days of data, such as: Open Water (ice melt), Fresh Snow, etc. - Forecasts combine weather data, with topographic information and sun/moon locations. A dark sky isn’t really dark if there’s a full moon, right? Aurora isn’t all that exciting under a thick blanket of clouds. Clouds won’t light up if there’s a large mountain in the line of sight at sunrise - Define custom weather templates, which can be used in your Light Watches, or forecasted in our Smart Panel - Have a vision for the perfect conditions at a location? Define a Light Watch and specify your requirements. Get notified when ‘any’ of your required conditions will be met, or only when ‘all’ of the requirements are met; it’s all configurable. Add an alert to be notified one or more days in advance Planning a trip? Use The Light Watch to setup the potential locations you want to visit in advance. When you arrive, visit those locations under the best conditions; getting the most out of your trip. Over any given Watch, you can vary the degree of conditions required before being notified. For example, indicate that you need “Ideal” Cloud Light conditions, but “Fresh Snow” is optional. You will be notified to go when the ideal Cloud Light conditions are forecasted, but the weight for the shooting location will be elevated when “Fresh Snow” is also forecasted. Once you get what you want; tighten up the conditions for that Watch, or change them all together, ensuring you get a unique experience every time you go. The Light Watch includes a variety of tools to analyze the relevant forecast around your locations. Topographic models show the position of clouds, sun and terrain to visualize what is predicted. The weather panel provides a summary of conditions and their probability for your upcoming visit, as well as a set of weather condition graphs covering your location so you can plan for your own comfort and safety. Both map and table views provide unique options for visualizing and analyzing the weather. Additional Features Include: - Zoom in on the map to get topographic details making it easy to locate trails and remote landmarks - Define time ranges for your locations so they are inactive when not needed. - For non-US users, choose between Metric or US Imperial units. - Sort locations alphabetically, by proximity, or likelihood. - Forecasts are provided up to 3 days into the future, so you can start to plan ahead and get out in the best conditions. Start every adventure, or every day, with The Light Watch! ## Key features - Visualize weather data (cloud cover, wind, precipitation) - Forecast specific light conditions (aurora, fog, rainbows) - Customizable alerts for forecasted conditions - Multiple weather source options - Detailed forecasts with topographic data - Mark and track favorite locations ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Basic | $0.99 | per month | | Black Bear Monthly | $1.99 | per month | | Yeti Monthly | $4.99 | per month | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Basic | $9.99 | one-time | | Black Bear | $19.99 | one-time | | Yeti | $49.99 | one-time | | LW Weather Sources 24 hrs | $0.99 | one-time | | LW Weather Sources 1 Week | $4.99 | one-time | | LW Weather Sources 7 Days | $0.99 | one-time | | LW Weather Source 30 Days | $4.99 | one-time | ## Frequently asked questions about The Light Watch ### What weather conditions can The Light Watch forecast? The Light Watch forecasts a wide range of conditions including cloud cover, wind speed, precipitation, temperature, humidity, aurora, and specific light phenomena like crepuscular rays and forest light. It also provides forecasts for multi-day conditions such as fresh snow and open water ice melt. ### Can I set up notifications for specific weather events with The Light Watch? Yes, you can deploy 'watches' to be notified when specific conditions are forecasted. You can configure alerts to be notified one or more days in advance, and specify whether 'any' or 'all' of your required conditions must be met. ### Does The Light Watch have ads? No, The Light Watch does not contain advertisements. It is a completely ad-free application. ### What devices does The Light Watch support? The Light Watch is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is designed to provide a seamless experience across Apple's mobile ecosystem. ### How often is The Light Watch updated? The Light Watch was last updated on November 12, 2023, with version 2.07. This indicates a commitment to ongoing development and improvements. ### What is the age rating for The Light Watch? The Light Watch has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide audience. This suggests content is generally appropriate for young children. ### Does The Light Watch offer different subscription tiers? Yes, The Light Watch offers several subscription plans including Basic at $0.99/month, Black Bear Monthly at $1.99/month, and Yeti Monthly at $4.99/month. These plans likely offer varying levels of features or access. ### How does The Light Watch combine weather data with other factors? The Light Watch integrates weather data with topographic information and sun/moon locations to provide more accurate and context-aware forecasts. This helps visualize how terrain and celestial bodies affect conditions like aurora visibility or light rays. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.07 — 2023-11-12 - Added Apple Weather Source (replacing Dark Sky). - Other minor defect corrections. ### 2.06 — 2022-11-01 - Tightened up the angles needed to satisfy Rainbow, Light Rays and Crepuscular Rays - Other minor defect fixes ### 2.05 — 2022-06-05 - Tightened up "Fog" detection a bit more. - Added ability to "Delete Profile" to comply with new Privacy requirements. - Added a "Restore Purchase" button to the About/Settings view, allowing users to manually check to restore past purchases made from a different device. ### 2.04 — 2022-01-26 In this update: - Improved forecasting for Fog, Frost and Above the Cloud Conditions - When you open a watch, if there are no satisfied times, it will now populate with the first valid time. Rather than defaulting to the current time. - Minor defect corrections ### 2.03 — 2021-11-16 In this update: - Updated the fog detection forecasting to include more types of fog (reducing false negatives). Version 2 is here! - We've overhauled the interface for Light Watches. You no longer need to specify the time of day, just throw down the weather you want, and we will do the rest. - We've added a new Smoke weather layer. - You can now experience a wider and narrow zoom on the weather maps if you have an active plan. - Added visualcrossing weather source. - We've re-enabled the Dark Sky weather source, as Apple has extended it's available through 2022. - The interface for generating weather forecasts for Location Watches has been improved. - Location Watch viewed on the main map will show color coding for their forecasts when available, and will change based on the time selected. - You can generate Location Watch forecasts from the Main Map view. - You can now generate other predicted weather conditions for your Light Watches when viewed from the Weather Panel. - The earth's curvature is now used in calculating where the horizon is blocked in calculating the location to forecast the horizon for advanced forecasts (like Cloud Light, Glow, etc) - Location and Light watch cells on the list views now show the conditions and their probability color coding when forecasted. - You can now sort Light Watches by "Interesting" in addition to "Most Likely" - Many performance improvements. - Numerous defect corrections. 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Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*