HikeArizona.COM

NOAA is using google maps for the on-the-spot forecasting. Now it is much easier to pinpoint an area in question. and at the same time allows you to zoom in/out of the area of concern. I was able to get a forecast for Powers Garden, almost to the foot. Nice!

google "noaa forecast" to find the page. then click on your state or type it into the search box.

From what I saw earlier today, its really no different than it was before (it showed, and you could enter, lat/long), except the graphical interface shows a small square instead of a "point". The zoom feature does help when you are trying to select an exact spot, but the forecast hasn't changed, and I've found that the point forecasts can vary widely from actual conditions at the specified point ... especially in some of the remote areas of AZ, which are often dozens of miles away from the weather stations that provide the data that is then used to project the weather at another spot.

While the Google Maps offer a nicer interface than before, I am becoming increasingly concerned with Google's desire to control the world. Perhaps they will soon try to control the weather too?

I just logged on to the NOAA site, and they are changing the format, no Google map!!!

It is in test mode and users can leave comments. I urge everyone to tell them to DON'T LOOSE THE MAP!