Don't care where you go as long as it's not 85 degrees and humid? Choose a temperature/ month/region or a theme (such as "Beach Bum"), and the site's Vacation Planner tells you where to go.
IF THERE'S A HURRICANE . . .
Besides frequently updated summaries on a storm's progress provided by staff meteorologists, you'll also find reports on the havoc it's wreaking on air and highway travel. Bonus: Weather Channel video of reporters in the field and in the studio.
GRIPES:
Annoying video pop-up ads are like hail on a windshield. Also, it can be hard to discern Web site content from ads.
Weather Underground www.wunderground.com
OVERVIEW:
A non-weather geek's paradise, this site is geared toward those who like their weather over-easy. Sure, there's plenty of historical data, UV forecasts and wind-chill indexes, but they're boiled down into easy-to-read forecasts and color-coded maps.
Provides domestic/international forecasts.
COOL FEATURES:
Impress your star-gazing friends by pointing out Draco the Dragon and Cassiopeia in the nighttime sky using the programmable constellation maps that show the stars' positions from your latitude and longitude. And you can zoom waaay in on satellite images from space. Wait, is that my house?
IF THERE'S A HURRICANE . . .
If NOAA's reporting is above your head, look at easy-to-read tricolor maps that show a storm's location, its expected path and when it will cross certain spots. Official advisories and updates are included, but don't go here for loads of details and historical data.
GRIPES:
Pointless camera-phone photos miss the mark in site's promise to provide "most up-to-date photo coverage" of world weather. Pay $5 annual fee and you could post your pics (and see the site sans ads).
