FirstAlertWX vs KGWN Storm Tracker 5
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FirstAlertWX
Get comprehensive weather updates for Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. Stay informed with current conditions, forecasts, severe weather alerts, and video reports from local news teams.
- Local weather information
- Current conditions and forecasts
- Severe weather alerts
- VIPIR Radar
- Video and headlines
- Coachella Valley focus
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First Alert Weather delivers complete weather information for Palm Springs, Indio and surrounding Coachella Valley communities. The weather teams from KESQ NewsChannel 3 and CBS Local 2 keep you informed on current conditions and provide constant updates with VIPIR Radar, forecasts, severe weather alerts, video and headlines.
KGWN Storm Tracker 5
Get hyper-local weather updates with high-resolution radar and satellite imagery. Receive future radar forecasts and customizable alerts for severe weather, ensuring you stay informed about conditions at your favorite locations.
- 250 meter radar resolution
- High-resolution satellite imagery
- Future radar for severe weather tracking
- Current weather updates
- Save favorite locations
- Daily and hourly forecasts
- Severe weather push alerts
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The KGWN Weather App includes: • Access to station content specifically for our mobile users • 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available • High resolution satellite cloud imagery • Future radar to see where severe weather is headed • Current weather updated multiple times per hour • Ability to add and save your favorite locations • Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models • A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness • Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather • Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: KGWN Storm Tracker 5 at 100% against FirstAlertWX's 17%. KGWN Storm Tracker 5 also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7). FirstAlertWX's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
KGWN Storm Tracker 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FirstAlertWX has 20 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of FirstAlertWX's written reviews are positive against 100% of KGWN Storm Tracker 5's.
FirstAlertWX ships an update every 3 months, KGWN Storm Tracker 5 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FirstAlertWX | KGWN Storm Tracker 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (20 ratings) | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 165 MB | 244 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | News-Press & Gazette Company | Marquee Broadcasting INC |
Customer experience
FirstAlertWX
KGWN Storm Tracker 5
In-app purchases
FirstAlertWX
No in-app purchases
KGWN Storm Tracker 5
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FirstAlertWX free?
Is KGWN Storm Tracker 5 free?
Which has better reviews, FirstAlertWX or KGWN Storm Tracker 5?
Do FirstAlertWX or KGWN Storm Tracker 5 have ads?
Which is updated more often, FirstAlertWX or KGWN Storm Tracker 5?
Other comparisons
