Before I was born, my mother experienced the raw power of a tornado firsthand. It was October 1979 when she was on her way to pick up my father from his job in Windsor Locks, CT. As she approached his workplace, the winds from the Windsor Locks Tornado lifted her car off the ground. Thankfully, the car didn't lift too high, and she emerged unscathed, but hearing this story left a lasting impression on me during my childhood. In 1985, when I was still quite young, we felt the effects of Hurricane Gloria, a devastating storm that wreaked havoc along the Southern New England and Long Island coastlines, including the uprooting of a large tree in my grandmother's yard, where the stump remains to this day. We also endured severe blizzards and winter storms, in addition to the everyday weather events that occur across the country. These experiences and stories fostered in me a profound respect for the powerful impact of weather on our lives. Weather can significantly impact travel plans as well. I’ve written extensively about trip planning, and I believe it’s crucial to have both short-term and long-term plans, whether you’re traveling solo, with friends, or with family. One important factor to consider is the weather. Although weather forecasting has improved significantly, it’s still not possible to predict it perfectly beyond a week or so. Thankfully, we live in an era where we don’t have to wait for the next local news update or the traditional "weather on the 8’s" segments that the Weather Channel popularized. We can see the conditions on the ground virtually anywhere through webcams around the globe, on the large screens in our homes, and on the very smartphone you might be using now to read this. Let’s explore the various ways to stay informed and prepared!

Eye in the Sky

Webcams have certainly earned a reputation, and let’s face it, we all have a bit of curiosity. Some people utilize them for their YouTube channels, while others have their own distinct motivations. Regardless of the reason, webcams and livestream cameras provide a real-time glimpse into life happening elsewhere. They’re also useful for checking weather conditions in various locations. Perhaps you’re longing for a beach escape in Florida during the winter chill, planning a spring trip to a ski resort in the Rockies, or scouting a National Park to assess the conditions. If you’re considering a spontaneous beach weekend, you might want to see how busy the boardwalk is at the moment. Whatever your purpose, live cams play a crucial role by giving you a live look at what's going on in a specific area in real time. You can typically find these cameras positioned at street corners, traffic lights, banks, and transit stations - often hidden in plain sight. Additionally, they’re excellent for research, helping you visualize the layout, amenities, and breathtaking views of a destination.

A few livestreams to explore include but are not limited to:

• WebcamTaxi: This particular webcam aggregator appears to have feeds ongoing and sourced all over the world. For the purposes of this website, I have linked the USA edition, which features webcams of locations large and small all over the United States and it's territories. You can see the beaches at Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands or the Times Square Ball in New York City. Some webcams are live, some are time-delayed, and some have sound as well.
• Earthcam: Thousands of livestream cameras at your disposal just in the United States alone, Earthcam features views of various locations. Want to see how busy Broadway is in Nashville or perhaps you want to see the historic downtown of Cheyenne, WY? Earthcam has you covered.
• YouTube - The home of your favorite content creators also hosts webcams all over the world aggregated from various sources, some even feature soothing music as well. Not a bad idea if you're looking for some background noise as well!

I've Got News For You

Did you know that you can stream local TV newscasts from most, if not all, local stations across the U.S. using various apps? You might even have access to it on your TV right now! If you own a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or smart TVs like Vizio or Samsung, or if you use platforms like Pluto TV or Tubi, you can find a bunch of free ad-supported channels without needing a credit card or sign-up. These channels often feature 24-hour loops of classic sitcoms, dramas, movies, game shows, and reality shows, but they also include national news, weather updates, and local stations broadcasting their newscasts from all over the country. Plus, many local stations are starting to create documentary content that highlights local culture. Just pick the city or area you’re interested in, and you can start watching right away. A lot of these channels either show the latest newscast on a slight delay or stream the live local news from the main station. It’s a fantastic way to plan your trip since you can check out the current weather and get a forecast for the next week or so, which is super helpful right before you travel. If you’re into local news, it’s a great way to stay updated on what’s happening in the area, and the local newscasts from other cities are no different. It’s also a handy research tool to find out about local events you might want to check out while you’re there, and even if you don’t tune in for the news, the local documentaries give you a peek into the local culture.

I Can See Clearly Now

One of the great advantages of owning a smartphone is the ability to quickly check the weather in your area before heading out. These weather apps also allow you to monitor conditions for any destination you plan to visit. Here's a few of the weather apps I use and how I use them:

• Fox Weather: Fox is known for its television network, their polarizing news channel and its award winning sports coverage. However, a few years ago, they launched a 24 hour weather channel that broadcasts on a handful of local TV stations, online and is available for free on YouTube and on most ad-supported platforms. They also have a terrific weather app that is free to use and offers the baseline weather forecasts and severe weather alerts, but also 3D mobile radar, long range forecasts, weather news, and weather data that includes 48 hours of hourly forecasts, 1 year of historical data. For those of you outside of the United States, you can even toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius (because "27 degrees" means two very different things between those measurements!). And if you're traveling, and want to check conditions in virtually any town or city in the world, simply save the city to your list of cities on the home page and you can toggle to see the weather in that city, as well as the weather for the next 14 days. It truly is a terrific weather app for anyone traveling now or in the future.
• Accuweather: A longtime trusted source for weather has expanded its offerings to a 24 hour weather channel that is also available for free on most ad-supported platforms, and a solid weather app that includes the usual weather forecasts and severe weather alerts but also Minutecast - which gives you a minute by minute forecast showing precipatation for the next few hours, and RealFeel - which provides the "feels like" temperature outside, which is very needed on windy and cold days, and hot and humid days. You can also see the air quality and allergy index, which is helpful for anyone venturing out during allergy or wildfire season. They offer more features for paid upgrades, but honestly, it's not neccessary - especially if you're using mutliple apps. This is an excellent weather app to use, and to its name, the Minutecast is quite accurate. I also recommend visiting the website to obtain historical data for the specific time of year you intend to visit, as that is very helpful when researching your destination.
• Weather Underground: From the folks that brought you The Weather Channel, Weather Underground is a product that uses data collected by users through personal weather stations to generate weather forecasts from just about every corner of the globe. This allows for an incredibly detailed application, and it's clear this particular service was built with technology in mind. The Wundermap gives measurements of temperature and wind, humidity, dewpoint, air quality, fronts, severe watches/warnings, and even past historical data. While it sounds "nerdy" and detailed, the mobile app is actually very straightforward and simplified and uses the Wundermap to give you a forecast that is quite digestible. That being said, it does not have the ability to save destinations as the aforementioned apps do, so you'll have to use this for either local weather, or prior to visiting your destination.

What A Wonderful World

We've made significant strides from the times when weather forecasts were merely an afterthought and even downright nonexistent, leaving you to gamble each day as you stepped outside. This uncertainty also applied to travel, where you would take chances and hope for favorable conditions. Today, with a bit of planning and the wealth of resources at your fingertips, you can effectively prepare for your journey, whether it's the day before or several months in advance. Webcams and live streams offer real-time glimpses into current conditions, making them invaluable for short-term planning and research. Additionally, local news broadcasts from across the nation are easily accessible on the television in your home, while weather apps on your smartphone or tablet allow you to check conditions not just for your local area but also for your travel destination, both now and in the future. As technology continues to evolve, it empowers you to navigate your travels with greater confidence, helping you to prepare for the unpredictable elements, like the weather, wherever your adventures may take you.

What a wonderful world indeed.