Update on Space City Weather’s app: Where we are, where we’re going

We first released the Space City Weather app a little more than two months ago, and I wanted to give you an update on where we are, and where we hope to go. As a reminder, you can download the app on Apple devices here, and Android devices here. The app is free, and there are no ads, no in-app purchases, and no tracking or hoovering of your personal information.

The App so far

First of all, we could not he happier with the response. More than 75,000 people have downloaded the app on Apple and Android devices since its launch. This is a pretty phenomenal response, and we appreciate your interest. We also appreciate your patience as we know the app launched with bugs on both mobile operating systems. We think we’ve now squashed most of them, so be sure you’ve updated the app on your device to get the latest version. After updating, you can report bugs by emailing us.

Plans for the App in 2022

Since the release of our initial app we have received a lot of feedback and feature requests. And we definitely hear you. To create the initial version of our app we exhausted all of our available funds, with the goal of creating a simple, functional app ready to go in time for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. We delivered that.

Now we are contemplating our next steps. After we hold our site’s annual fundraiser in late October and November, we’ll be able to set a budget for upgrades to the Space City Weather App in 2022. Our initial priority is to work with our developer Hussain Abbasi, to include some of our most requested feature upgrades:

  • A better radar: larger, time stamps, improved resolution
  • Increased number of locations: I.e. Sugar Land, Tomball, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Baytown, etc.
  • An hourly percent chance of rain
  • Metric unit option

Then, depending on the—cough, cough—robustness of our fundraiser later this year we hope to include some of these additional upgrades later in 2022:

  • Dark mode
  • Ability to comment on posts within the app
  • Tropical weather tab

Plans for the App beyond 2022

Beyond these, we have ideas for future upgrades. We’re still not yet sure how to implement some of these, and some will require a lot of back-end work. So we want you to know we’re considering these ideas, but don’t have immediate plans to include them:

  • Pollen counts
  • Barometric pressure and trends
  • Portrait/horizontal mode
  • Apply watch support
  • Apple and Android widgets

As always, thank you for your interest in Space City Weather, and for your kind words about our efforts. Matt and I continue to feel as though it is a privilege to serve you all, and we greatly value the trust you place in us.

31 thoughts on “Update on Space City Weather’s app: Where we are, where we’re going”

  1. I’m ready to drop Billingsley’s face from my current go to weather app… BRING ON THE UPDATE!
    I’ll be sure to donate when the time comes.

  2. All of those plans sound great except, in my opinion, leave out the comments tab, too many stupid people will make comments or suggestions, and we already get too much of that on other platforms! Just my opinion, love the app and website. Please include me in the fundraiser.

  3. As a former Internet app project management consultant, I want to applaud your app and your team. Your roll out was smooth, your support and dedication to fix issues has been fast and well prioritized. Your programming and quality testing is exceptional.

    Please know that you are delivering a superb application. We all need to dig into our pockets to help. Thank you so much !

  4. Keep up the great work. I am a huge fan of the 10-day forecast plots at https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/friendswood. In landscape mode these kid of plots are a great way to see expected trends for pressure, and rain chances, as well as temps and humidity. Even wind-speed & direction. I wouldn’t try to put them all on screen at once, 2 or 3 plots separately selectable with 2 or 3 parameters each. It makes a great infographic of what to expect.

  5. It would be good to have at least a link to the Harris county Flood Control webpage that shows the levels of all the bayous. Or to show that image and update it regularly.

  6. This sounds like a good long term strategy but get the app developer to toss in dark mode. That is an easy, easy add.

  7. I’ll be donating to the fundraiser regardless, but I would also get a T-shirt if they were available with a pocket.
    Thanks for all you do.

  9. So glad you got the original app going …You guys rule the weather roost as far as I’m concerned. Great plans for the future…I’m retired but count on me to give something during the financial campaign!!!

  10. Thanks for all that you guys do. I will donate when the time comes. Oh, and when I wear the t-shirt, is unbelievable how many people love SCW

  11. It might be worth a consideration to make this project open source on GitHub so the massive wealth of houston developers could help simplify development. It can be led by Mr. Abbasi, possibly? Worth a consideration.

  13. Putting my $.02 in: the upgrade I’d like most is the Tropical Weather tab. I can live without Dark Mode and Comments being in the app, but I got to know what is going on in the Gulf.

    As always, I plan to donate during the fundraiser. I need your straight talk concerning the weather, especially when there is trouble in the Gulf.

  15. I’ll be happy to donate when the time comes. You are now my weather source! No more turning on the TV at 10:17 PM.

  16. Not certain if a comments tab is needed, particularly if they are not the same comments as on the web page. Perhaps just a link to the web page would be sufficient- it is easy enough to place new comments there.

  17. I love your app!! I have recommended your site to all my family and friends!! Keep up the great work!

  21. The website is sufficient for me. I’ve never opened the app past the 2nd day having it. Love SCW!

  23. If you have tshirts, for your fundraiser, have shirts that advertise SCW, with logo, that can be seen

  24. I really like the app. It’s the first thing I check when I have any question about the weather.

  25. We so much appreciate what y’all are doing with this app. While we have a lot of apps to go to for weather, we look forward to where yall are trying to go with yours. We trust you heart and minds when it comes to reporting the weather. Keep up the great work.

  28. Considering where we live … the Tropical Weather Forecast tab would be important to have as an addition. I agree with another reader: leave the comments section out … no need to make a social app out of this one.

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