How we decide what's current.
We don’t average everything and hope. We choose per field: fetch → validate → select → label. NWS observations win when they’re fresh and physically sane. If some obs fields are missing or stale, model data fills only those gaps—so “current” can be hybrid across fields, with every value clearly tagged.
The validation pipeline
Every data point runs through this sequence before reaching the display.
Selection rules
Four rules govern how CurrentWeather.info chooses which value to display.
Observations first
If observations are available and pass freshness + sanity checks, they win for that field. Live station data is the ground truth whenever it’s valid.
Model fallback
If an obs field is stale (>90 min), missing, or fails validation, model data fills in for that field only. That’s how “current” becomes hybrid: a mix of obs and model across different fields—each tagged, never disguised.
Derived fields
Computed values (feels-like, dew point labels, UV risk) are marked derived. They’re calculated from whichever inputs won (obs, model, or a hybrid mix).
No silent smoothing
We don’t numerically average or “smooth” values. We select per field. If a value is adjusted beyond selection/validation, it’s documented in the change log with reasoning.
Hard validity gates
These checks reject physically impossible values and route fallbacks per field. They do not smooth, average, or “massage” valid data.
- Fail → fallback: if an obs field is stale or invalid, only that field falls back to model.
- Pass → eligible: values that pass are eligible to win for that field.
- Always labeled: the UI shows obs, model, or derived.
View full bounds & gates
Observations older than ~90 minutes are considered stale. The system falls back to model data for the affected fields and labels those values accordingly.
Values outside this range are rejected as sensor errors. Earth's recorded extremes are -128°F and 134°F.
Relative humidity physically cannot exceed 100%. Values outside range indicate sensor malfunction.
Highest recorded wind gust is 253 mph. Anything beyond reasonable limits is flagged and rejected.
Covers the range from intense typhoons to extreme high-pressure systems ever recorded on Earth.
Intent: reject impossible values and keep selection honest. If you ever see a value adjusted beyond validation/selection, it belongs in the change log.
Provenance labels
Every displayed value carries one of three labels. The app may also show a Hybrid badge when a view is assembled from mixed sources—some fields are obs and others fall back to model. Hybrid is a view-level summary; per-field tags remain the source of truth.