Comparison

Florida Storms vs Fat Tail Weather

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Florida Storms

Stay informed about severe weather with real-time alerts and an interactive map. Get audio and text updates from emergency networks, hurricane center forecasts, and evacuation zone information. Prepare for any weather event with checklists and expert meteorologist insights.

Highlights
  • Interactive real-time storm mapping
  • Live audio and text alerts from emergency networks
  • Hurricane Center tropical weather updates
  • Evacuation zone and storm surge path identification
  • Push notifications from multiple official sources
  • Preparation checklists for weather emergencies
Features
Read full description

Everything you need, nothing you don't. Florida Storms is not just another weather app with a radar. It's a clean and fast interactive map that alerts you to every storm, while at the same time delivers credible real-­‐time audio and text alerts from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network. Using a combination of Baron's exclusive storm track algorithms and the expertise of a meteorologist, you're certain to receive the most up-­to-­date information on any potential weather hazard. View the latest tropical weather updates from the National Hurricane Center, find out if you’re in an evacuation zone, check if you're in the path of a dangerous storm surge, or just review a checklist of items your family should have in case of a weather emergency. Once you have Florida Storms, you won't need multiple apps to prepare for the next "big one". Whether it's just a routine lightning storm that might send you indoors or a major hurricane threatening your neighborhood, Florida Storms is the simplest and fastest way to stay informed of mother nature's next move. Features of Florida Storms include... - Live radio stream of the nearest Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partner station, with option to choose from 12 others in the state in case of evacuation or traveling - Push notifications from multiple sources, including the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, Baron's exclusive Doppler radar, and local emergency management personnel - The ability to set up alerts for other locations, such as your second home, vacation or evacuation destination. - Interactive real-time mapping of high-resolution radar, lightning, future radar, satellite, hurricanes and forecast models. - Our favorite feature: “The feeds” offer real-­time filtering of information from official sources, such as the nearest National Weather Service office, the National Hurricane Center, Florida Department of Transportation, the FPREN Storm Center and local emergency management offices. - A simple, effective way to learn how to prepare for the next weather disaster, including what to do before, during, and after a storm - Updates from certified FPREN meteorologists, including Facebook Live videos and blog articles. Florida Storms is completely free and developed by the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, in partnership with the University of Florida and Baron Critical Weather Intelligence. Updates from the Storm Center are provided by a team of certified meteorologists at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, and are also available on your local Florida public radio station's website or over the air. The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network partners stations are WUWF (Pensacola), WFSU (Tallahassee), WKGC (Panama City), WUFT (Gainesville), WJCT (Jacksonville), WMFE (Orlando), WMNF and WUSF (Tampa-­‐St. Petersburg), WFIT (Melbourne), WQCS (Ft. Pierce), WGCU (Ft. Myers), WDNA (Miami, and WLRN (Miami). Repeater stations include WJUF (Inverness), WMKO (Marco), WUCF (Orlando), WFSQ (Tallahassee), and WXEL (Miami). More information about the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network can be found at www.floridastorms.org.

About

Fat Tail Weather

Get real-time weather data directly from airport sensors, offering precise measurements instead of model estimates. View current conditions, forecasts, and aviation-inspired color codes for clarity. Know exactly what's happening with the weather, no guesswork involved.

Highlights
  • Live airport sensor readings
  • Precise weather measurements
  • Hourly and 7-day forecasts
  • Aviation color-coded conditions
  • Compass-guided wind arrow
  • Multiple location saving
Features
Read full description

Fat Tail is weather without the guesswork. Most weather apps show you a model's estimate, interpolated for your area. Fat Tail shows you what's actually happening — live readings from professionally maintained, calibrated sensors at the airports nearest you. It's the same data pilots trust before takeoff, decoded into a clean, bold report anyone can read. REAL MEASUREMENTS, NOT ESTIMATES Temperature, feels-like, humidity, dew point, wind, gusts, visibility, pressure, and cloud layers — measured at the source and updated the moment conditions change, not just on the hour. YOUR LOCAL FIELD REPORT Open the app and it finds the closest reporting stations automatically. See exactly which airport your reading comes from, how far away it is, and how fresh the observation is. Compare nearby stations with one tap. A WIND ARROW THAT ACTUALLY POINTS Enable the compass and the wind arrow tracks as you turn — it always points the true direction the wind is moving, like holding a hand compass. FORECASTS FROM NOAA'S BEST Hourly and 7-day forecasts powered by the National Blend of Models — the multi-model blend NWS forecasters themselves start from. Rain, snow, and storm chances shown big and clear, with the peak hour called out. MORE AT A GLANCE Conditions rated with aviation color codes — green when it's clear, red when it's rough Sunrise and sunset, calculated for your exact location Save up to 10 locations for one-tap checks The raw station report included, for the curious No accounts. No ads. No tracking. Your location never leaves your phone. Weather's biggest days are the rare ones — the fat tail. Know what's really out there.

Screenshots

Florida Storms4 screens
Fat Tail Weather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fat Tail Weather at 100% against Florida Storms's 33%. Fat Tail Weather also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). Florida Storms's advantage is ratings volume (40 vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Fat Tail Weather holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Florida Storms has 40 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Florida Storms's written reviews are positive against 100% of Fat Tail Weather's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Florida Storms ships an update every 3 months, Fat Tail Weather daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Florida Storms versus Fat Tail Weather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlorida StormsFat Tail Weather
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (40 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of FloridaCameron Melcher

Customer experience

Florida Storms

All ratings39 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral5.1%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral9.1%
Negative57.6%

Fat Tail Weather

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Florida Storms

No in-app purchases

None

Fat Tail Weather

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Florida Storms free?
Florida Storms is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fat Tail Weather free?
Fat Tail Weather is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Florida Storms or Fat Tail Weather?
Fat Tail Weather is rated higher. Florida Storms averages 3.7 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Fat Tail Weather averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Florida Storms or Fat Tail Weather have ads?
Florida Storms shows ads; Fat Tail Weather does not.
Which is updated more often, Florida Storms or Fat Tail Weather?
Florida Storms ships an update every 3 months, and Fat Tail Weather daily. Most recently, Florida Storms was updated on October 30, 2026 and Fat Tail Weather on October 20, 2026.

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