SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwire) — 12/05/12 — has released a major upgrade of its popular interactive weather map, which can now be accessed via a new, standalone website at . In addition to an enhanced user interface, this new version includes time controls that allow users to view animated historical weather data. Users can set specific dates back in time or use the search function to view historically significant storms such as or . Archived radar spans back to 1994 while significant tornadoes can be tracked back as far as 1950. The map can also look into the future and display forecasted weather conditions for up to 10 days, including 6 hours of radar.
WunderMap® uses the latest Google Maps API so that users can zoom in to a local level and view Weather Underground-s unique network of neighborhood weather stations or zoom out to view weather patterns as they affect a region or continent. The new user interface has been designed to keep the navigation process as simple as possible while also presenting the vast amount of data that users can overlay on the map. Each layer option has its own settings menu that allows the user to fine-tune the data they are viewing.
“WunderMap® is the ultimate online resource for in-depth weather information and its many data layers provide users with an unrivalled interactive experience,” said Alan Steremberg, President and co-founder of Weather Underground. “The new user interface makes switching between different data layers and using the map settings even more intuitive.”
The most significant feature upgrade on the WunderMap® is the more robust time bar that allows users to utilize a slide rule navigation tool to select and change date ranges, creating custom weather animations. In addition to selecting specific date ranges, users can simply jump through time by adjusting the year, month, day, or hour. Weather Underground-s collection of over 1.5 million user-contributed photographs and its network of webcams are also available as a data layer so archived images can be viewed alongside the weather.
In time for the holiday travel season the Road Trip Planner function of the WunderMap® has also been upgraded and provides detailed weather conditions alongside road directions for both drivers and cyclists, dependent on planned departure times. A brand new data layer to the WunderMap is a Real Estate layer that provides flood risk data, seismic risk, fault line locations and tsunami data for potential homebuyers wanting to conduct thorough research.
“The new time controls of WunderMap® provide endless opportunities for weather enthusiasts to interact with our data,” continues Steremberg. “WunderMap® is an interactive encyclopedia of weather and we-re constantly adding unique data layers.”
WunderMap Video:
The world-s first online weather service, Weather Underground is committed to delivering the most comprehensive, reliable weather information possible. In addition to providing free weather data to millions of users around the globe, Weather Underground provides weather solutions to many of the world-s largest media companies. With more than 24,000 users contributing local observations from personal weather stations, Weather Underground is able to provide up-to-the-minute weather conditions for the most finely targeted areas. Weather Underground is part of The Weather Channel Companies and is based in San Francisco.
Launched in 2008, WunderMap® is the Internet-s most interactive weather map, providing users with a number of different data layers that are plotted over the Google Map interface. These layers include the Weather Underground network of 25,000 neighborhood weather stations, owned and operated by its loyal userbase. Also available are the following layers: animated radar and satellite, severe weather alerts, webcams, photographs, forecasts, hurricane tracking, ski weather, snow powder predictor, wildfires, river levels, forecast model data, and extreme records. WunderMap® is also available as an iPad app and a version is featured on the Weather Underground iPhone app.
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Ali Wamberg
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