There are thousands of apps for your desktop or mobile device that will let you see weather conditions. These apps are very useful for photographers who need to plan outdoor activities. To bird photographers – having an understanding of wind direction and patterns is crucial. Birds fly into, land into and perch into the wind. If you know what direction the wind is blowing, you know what direction the birds will be facing.

Weather forecasting is a vital tool for ALL photographers, not just bird photographers. While I have tried many different apps, the one that I recommend and regularly use is called Windy.

Windy (also known as WindyTV) is an extraordinary tool for weather forecast visualization. It’s fast, intuitive, detailed and most accurate.

The uniqueness of Windy lies in the fact that it brings you better quality information than the other weather apps’ pro-features, while our product is absolutely free and even without ads.

Powerful, smooth and fluid presentation makes weather forecasting a real pleasure!

Here are some of my favorite Windy features:

• Windy brings you all the world’s leading weather forecasting models: global ECMWF and GFS, plus local NEMS and ICON (for Europe) and NAM (for the USA).
• The forecast accuracy is the best I have seen.
• It offers email alerts.
• The app does not track and sell your personal data like other weather apps.
• Overlays include waves, swells, wind, lightening, cloud base, visibility and much more.
• The app shows cloud thickness and height. No other weather app does that.
• There are desktop and mobile versions of the app.
• The app is free. (You can donate if you like it – and I did.)

You can get the desktop version at https://www.windy.com/
The iOS version is at: https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1161387262?mt=8
The Android version is at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.windyty.android&hl=en_US

You can follow Windy on social media at:

• Facebook: facebook.com/windyforecast
• Twitter: twitter.com/windyforecast
• Instagram: instagram.com/windy_forecast

CONCLUSION

It’s rare that I get to recommend a top-quality tool for photographers, that happens to be free of charge. I believe Windy is responsible for helping me to make several of my best images thanks to its ability to accurately show me wind patterns. If you try it, I am sure you will like it.

PictureMethods has partnered with B&H Photo & Video to bring you the best gear selection and prices. Check for the best camera deals here.