First Alert Weather vs NickelBlock Forecasting
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Alert Weather
Get hyper-local weather updates with high-resolution radar and future tracking. Receive current conditions, hourly and daily forecasts, and severe weather alerts directly from the National Weather Service. Save your favorite locations and stay informed with push notifications.
- High-resolution 250m radar
- Future radar tracking
- Hourly and daily forecasts
- Current weather updates
- Severe weather alerts
- Favorite location saving
- GPS location awareness
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The WLBT Mobile Weather App includes: * Access to station content specifically for our mobile users * 250 meter radar, the highest resolution available * Future radar to see where severe weather is headed * High resolution satellite cloud imagery * Current weather updated multiple times per hour * Daily and Hourly forecasts updated hourly from our computer models * Ability to add and save your favorite locations * A fully integrated GPS for current location awareness * Severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service * Opt-in push alerts to keep you safe in severe weather
NickelBlock Forecasting
Get hyper-local weather forecasts for the Southern MS/AL/LA region and Gulf Coast. Access current conditions, radar, detailed forecasts, tropical updates, and severe weather breakdowns from a former TV meteorologist.
- Localized forecasts for MS/AL/LA/Gulf Coast
- Current conditions and radar
- Detailed local and special forecasts
- Tropical updates
- Severe weather breakdowns
- NWS, WPC, SPC updates
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The NickelBlock Forecasting app is a easy-to-use weather app featuring localized forecasts for the Southern MS/AL/LA region and Gulf Coast run by former television meteorologist Nick Lilja. It is the in-the-palm-of-your-hand version of the website for NickelBlock Forecasting. The app is designed to offer a look at current conditions, the radar, the local forecast, special detailed forecasts, tropical updates, severe weather breakdowns, and the latest from the NWS, WPC and SPC. Weather-related coverage features a variety of meteorological topics. We cover special historical weather-related reports, unique tornado videos, and specific weather forecasts during potential severe weather events. If you would like a specific region covered or want access to your own personal meteorologist, contact us!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: NickelBlock Forecasting at 100% against First Alert Weather's 57%. NickelBlock Forecasting also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). First Alert Weather's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 74) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
NickelBlock Forecasting holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Alert Weather has 20K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of First Alert Weather's written reviews are positive against 100% of NickelBlock Forecasting's.
First Alert Weather ships an update every 2 months, NickelBlock Forecasting every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Alert Weather | NickelBlock Forecasting |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (20K ratings) | 5.0 (74 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20K — better | 74 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #179 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 257 MB | 134 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gray Television Group, Inc. | Nick Lilja |
Customer experience
First Alert Weather
NickelBlock Forecasting
Bugs and requests
First Alert Weather
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashing or freezing
- Location not being saved properly
- Radar and weather data not updating correctly
Requested features
4 requests- Add weather widget for iOS
- Disable ads during severe weather events
- Improve radar overlay and transparency
- Provide more detailed weather forecasts
NickelBlock Forecasting
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Alert Weather
No in-app purchases
NickelBlock Forecasting
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Alert Weather free?
Is NickelBlock Forecasting free?
Which has better reviews, First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting?
Do First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Alert Weather or NickelBlock Forecasting?
Other comparisons
