# FWAS vs Weather NorCal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Weather NorCal at 88% against FWAS's 25%. Weather NorCal also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.3). FWAS's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Weather NorCal holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of FWAS's written reviews are positive against 88% of Weather NorCal's.

FWAS ships an update every 4 months, Weather NorCal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FWAS | Weather NorCal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fwasfire-weather-alert-system/id6445856411/reviews) | **[4.9 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weather-norcal/id6450515463/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **26** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 200 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [US Forest Service](https://appshunter.io/developer/949583790) | [Mike Krueger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693651057) |

## What reviewers say

### FWAS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fwasfire-weather-alert-system/id6445856411)

This app provides critical weather information and custom alerts for firefighters to anticipate dangerous fire behavior. It offers map-based access to fire-specific weather data, including RAWS, NWS forecasts, and radar, helping to prevent entrapments.

**Highlights:** Custom weather alerts, RAWS/ASOS station data, Fire-specific weather forecasts, Satellite hotspot mapping, Incident location and fire perimeters, NWS watches, warnings, and advisories, NEXRAD radar data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Weather NorCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weather-norcal/id6450515463)

Get hyper-local weather forecasts and instant alerts for Northern California. This app provides 24/7 local weather information, daily updates, and storm warnings tailored to specific neighborhoods within the Northstate and North Coast regions.

**Highlights:** Hyper-local forecasts, Instant watch & warning info, Daily forecast updates, 24/7 local weather channel, Region divided into neighborhoods, Designed for Northstate & North Coast

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FWAS free?

FWAS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Weather NorCal free?

Weather NorCal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FWAS or Weather NorCal?

Weather NorCal is rated higher. FWAS averages 3.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Weather NorCal averages 4.9 from 26 ratings.

### Do FWAS or Weather NorCal have ads?

Weather NorCal shows ads; FWAS does not.

### Which is updated more often, FWAS or Weather NorCal?

FWAS ships an update every 4 months, and Weather NorCal every 2 months. Most recently, FWAS was updated on October 24, 2026 and Weather NorCal on October 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*