Spring is tantalizingly close…but this weird winter isn’t over yet. So we collected 10 apps and gadgets to take the edge off the worst of the weather. With a phone that tackles everything from predicting snowfall to surviving freezing temperatures, you can stay toasty until warmer conditions return.
Weatherbug
Of all the weather-forecasting apps, Weatherbug excels at staying ahead of wintery weather. It can alert you to severe weather conditions, track specific storms, show radar maps for current conditions in your area, and provide detailed forecasts for the next couple of hours. Weatherbug even helps you keep tabs on traffic conditions as you try to make your way home. Weatherbug is free for Android and iOS, or $10 without ads.
Zippo Hand Warmer
Contigo Travel Mug
Highway Weather
We’ve already mentioned one forecasting app, but bear with us. Highway Weather is particularly good for planning long road trips through potentially adverse conditions. It will display the weather along your route, with multiple cities’ forecasts side-by-side, adjusted for your travel times. You can also get severe weather alerts, check highway camera feeds, and receive advice about the best time to start your journey so you’ll hit the most agreeable weather. Highway Weather is free for Android and iOS, or $2 without ads.
Dyson Hot + Cool fan, heater, and purifier
When you’re staying indoors, the Hot + Cool HP02 fan, heater, and air purifier from Dyson will create a personalized comfort zone just for you, whether you use it in addition to or in place of your regular heating system. A remote control lets you adjust the temperature and tweak the settings—it can focus the heat on a particular point or diffuse it evenly through a room—without getting up. As a safety measure, the heater automatically switches off if it tips over by accident. And when the summer months roll around, the dual system can keep you cool too. Hotel Tonight is free for Android and iOS.
Ororo Heated Vest
To hold heat close to your body, try an Ororo heated vest. These garments come with four carbon-fiber heating elements that generate heat and trap it around your body. It relies on a slim, rechargeable battery pack that lasts for up to eight hours, unless you co-opt it for other purposes—like charging your phone. Despite the tech it carries, the vest doesn’t restrict your movement, even when you wear it over or under multiple layers.
Waze
You may default to Google Maps or Apple Maps for driving directions, but don’t rule out Google-owned mapping app Waze, which shines in its community reports: Other Waze users will warn you about accidents, slow-downs, and severe weather conditions. That information can help you return to the cozy indoors more quickly—or decide whether to avoid setting out in the first place. Then you can give back to the community by leaving your own tips and reports. Waze is free for Android and iOS.
