Guide
Getting started
- Open Roadcast on your phone or computer.
- Type your starting city. If location access is enabled, Roadcast fills it automatically.
- Type your destination.
- Optionally add stops along the way — Roadcast suggests towns on your route.
- Set your departure time, or use the smart default.
- Tap Go to generate the weather dial.
Reading the dial
The dial shows your route as an arc from lower-left (start) to lower-right (destination). Each point on the arc is a stop along your route, spaced roughly by driving time. The outer ring shows temperature as a colour gradient — blue for cold, amber for warm. Hazardous segments override the gradient with a warning colour.
Interacting with the dial
You can explore your route in two ways:
- Tap any stop to focus it — the car marker glides to that point and the centre updates with temperature, town name, and conditions.
- Drag the car marker around the arc to scrub through your route with momentum and snap.
Both methods are first-class — use whichever feels natural.
Understanding hazards
When weather conditions are hazardous at a stop (fog, ice, heavy rain, storms), the stop’s rim code turns signal red and driving advice appears in the centre when you focus it. Hazards are encoded by both colour and shape, so they’re visible even with colour vision differences.
Tips
- Departure nudge: After generating a dial, check the footer for a suggestion — Roadcast may find a better departure window 1–2 hours earlier or later.
- Recent trips: Your last 3 trips are saved locally for one-tap reload.
- Re-check: If your location is on the route, Roadcast can refresh the forecast from your current position forward.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check the weather along my driving route?
Enter your start and destination on the Roadcast homepage, set your departure time, and tap Go. The dial shows weather conditions at each stop along your route, matched to the hour you’ll arrive there.
Is there a free road trip weather app?
Yes — Roadcast is completely free with no signup required. It runs in your browser on any device and shows hourly weather forecasts along your entire driving route.
How accurate is a road trip weather forecast?
Roadcast uses Open-Meteo hourly forecast data, which is reliable for departures within the next 12–24 hours. Beyond that, the app shows a coarse outlook and clearly labels the reduced confidence.
Does Roadcast work outside Canada?
Yes. Roadcast works for driving routes worldwide. Weather data from Open-Meteo has global coverage, and routing uses OpenRouteService which covers roads internationally.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Roadcast requires no signup, no login, and no account. Your trip data stays in your browser and is never sent to a server.
How far in advance can I check route weather?
Open-Meteo provides forecasts up to about 16 days out. However, hourly precision is only reliable for the next 12–24 hours. For departures further out, Roadcast shows a clearly-labelled coarse outlook.