Location-based forecasting of weather events based on user impact
A computer system provides location-based weather services. Weather data is processed to determine one or more weather values for a location. The one or more weather values are compared to baseline weather data for the location to identify a weather event, wherein the weather event is identified in response to determining that the one or more weather values deviate from a corresponding one or more baseline values of the baseline weather data by a threshold amount. A request is received from a user device for weather information for the location. Information relating to the weather event is provided to the user device. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and program product for providing location-based weather services in substantially the same manner described above.
1 . A method for determining location-based weather services, the method comprising:
receiving weather data about a location of interest for location-based weather services;
determining weather values for the location for each time period in a set of time periods based on the weather data;
identifying weather events for the location based on the weather values;
generating weather information for the location for presentation in a graphical user interface (GUI) that is displayed at user devices that request the location-based weather services for the location;
processing the identified weather events to generate additional weather information for the location that indicates an impact of the identified weather events using a rules-based approach, wherein the additional weather information corresponding to a particular weather event of the identified weather events and the additional weather information provides information to draw attention to the impact of the particular weather event by explaining both:
a quantified significance of the weather values for the particular weather event, and
an explanation of predicted real world impacts of the particular weather event on the location, and
recommendations for preparing for the predicted real world impacts;
transmitting the weather information and the additional weather information for the location to the user devices, wherein the weather information includes visual indicators corresponding to the identified weather events that are presented in a same view of the GUI displayed at the user devices;
causing, in response to receiving user selection of a visual indicator amongst the visual indicators, rendering of the additional weather information associated with the user selected visual indicator to be presented within the same view of the GUI; and
causing, in response to determining that the visual indicator has remained unselected for a threshold duration, automatic rendering of the additional weather information as a partial overlay that obscures a portion of the weather information while maintaining visibility of the visual indicators presented in the GUI.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of time periods comprises times of day.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of time periods comprises times of year.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the weather values comprise one or more of: a temperature value, a humidity value, a wind speed value, a wind direction value, a wind chill value, an atmospheric pressure value, an ultraviolet index value, a pollen count value, an air quality index value, a precipitation type, and a precipitation amount.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, for each of the weather values, a difference between the weather values for the location and corresponding baseline weather data for the location, wherein the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location comprises a standard deviation of the weather values from the corresponding baseline weather data.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location does not exceed the predetermined threshold, transmitting other weather information for the location to the user devices that request the location-based weather services for the location.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds the predetermined threshold, the method comprises: determining a nature of impact of the weather events on the location.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds the predetermined threshold, the method comprises: determining a start time of the weather events.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds the predetermined threshold, the method comprises: determining a duration of the weather events.
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined threshold is defined in a set of rules, wherein each rule in the set of rules identifies a type of weather event, a value for the type of weather event for a predetermined period of time, and text information to display at the user devices in response to determining that the weather values for the location exceeds the value for the corresponding type of weather event for the predetermined period of time.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the type of weather event comprises at least one of rain, freezing rain, snow, sleet, frostbite, temperature, wind chill, heat index, wind speed, dew point, or limited visibility.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicators of the identified weather events are presented concurrently in the GUI with other weather information.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the visual indicators of the identified weather events are presented in a first indicia and the other weather information is presented in a second indicia.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first indicia is different than the second indicia and the first indicia is configured to draw the corresponding users attention to the visual indicators of the identified weather events for the location.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein presenting the visual indicators of the identified weather events comprises presenting a notification about conditions to expect at the location as a result of the identified weather events.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of: roads being slippery, a driving conditions difficulty level, a need to shovel, a likeliness of power outages, a likeliness of frostbite, a likeliness of heat stroke, a need to hydrate, a need to reduce outdoor physical activity, a likeliness of heat cramps or exhaustion, a likeliness of damage from high winds, or a likeliness of fog.
17 . A system for determining location-based weather services, the system comprising:
an event analysis software module that is programmed to:
receive weather data about a location of interest for location-based weather services;
determine weather values for the location for each time period in a set of time periods based on the weather data;
identify weather events for the location based on the weather values
generate weather information for the location for presentation in a graphical user interface (GUI) that is displayed at user devices that request the location-based weather services for the location;
process the identified weather events to generate additional weather information for the location that indicates an impact of the identified weather events using a rules-based approach, wherein the additional weather information corresponding to a particular weather event and the additional weather information provides information to draw attention to the impact of the particular weather event by explaining both:
a quantified significance of the weather values for the particular weather event, and
an explanation of predicted real world impacts of the particular weather event on the location, and
recommendations for preparing for the predicted real world impacts;
transmit the weather information and the additional weather information for the location to the user devices, wherein the weather information includes visual indicators corresponding to the identified weather events that are presented in a same view of the GUI displayed at the user devices;
cause, in response to receiving user selection of a visual indicator amongst the visual indicators, rendering of the additional weather information associated with the user selected visual indicator to be presented within the same view of the GUI; and
cause, in response to determining that the visual indicator has remained unselected for a threshold duration, automatic rendering of the additional weather information as a partial overlay that obscures a portion of the weather information while maintaining visibility of the visual indicators presented in the GUI.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the event analysis software module is further programmed to:
determine a difference between the weather values for the location and corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining an impact of the weather events on the location.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the event analysis software module is further programmed to:
determine a difference between the weather values for the location and corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
in response to determining that the difference between the weather values for the location and the corresponding baseline weather data for the location exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining timing information of the weather events.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the visual indicators of the identified weather events are presented concurrently in the GUI with other weather information.