myBeachCast
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC), in partnership with LimnoTech and the Great Lakes states, has developed a free smartphone application that provides convenient, public access to swim advisories and other environmental conditions information for 1,900 beaches in the Great Lakes region.
Funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the myBeachCast application (app) retrieves locational and advisory data for Great Lakes and inland lake beaches in the eight Great Lakes states.
The app also features real-time and forecasted weather and lake conditions (e.g., water temperature, wave heights, wind speed/direction) and nearshore marine forecasts, drawn from the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). myBeachCast allows users to discover local beaches based on the user’s location, view beaches and their status on a map, save favorite beaches, and get driving directions.
The app was designed for the Android platform by LimnoTech, a water resources and engineering company based in Ann Arbor, Mich., in partnership with the GLC and the states. A mobile-enhanced website available on the Great Lakes Information Network (see glin.net/beachcast/conditions.html) offers complementary information for web viewers, iPhones and other mobile devices.
Data Providers Include:NOAA National Weather ServiceNOAA National Data Buoy CenterGreat Lakes Observing SystemState of IllinoisState of MichiganState of WisconsinState of MinnesotaState of OhioState of IndianaPennsylvania's Erie County Department of HealthPennsylvania Regional Science ConsortiumBeachGuard
Category : Weather
Reviews (16)
I live near lake Ontario and every time I click my desired beach the app crashes. I wanted to check conditions and if you were able to swim or not without having take a drive to see if lifeguards were on duty to tell me if swimming is allowed for that day. Please fix.
All data never loaded. Only info is beach names.
Highly recommend. If the weather stations at the bouy is transmitting, information is been extremely accurate.
No water temps!
Excellent resource for discovering beaches in the Great Lakes region and getting up-to-date information on beach conditions, weather and swimming advisories. If you use this app you won't get caught in the rain or in a dangerous current! Stay safe.
Every time I try to set my favorite it "unfortunately quit". No instructions, no menus. Absolutely useless to me.
Love it!
Why doesn't it offer water temp when it has a spot for it?
Victoria - READ THE APP INFO BEFORE YOU RATE IT ONE STAR! Honestly, some people. Anyhow, this is a nice start, but can you please add water temperature where available?
While obviously still under development, this is a great app for checking out local great lakes beaches, weather conditions and water quality.
I used the app to find a nice out of the way beach on Lake Michigan. The app includes every public beach whether it is a township park, city beach, state park, or national lakeshore. The weather feature is nice as I dont have to hunt for it in another application. I look forward to future updates!
NO LISTS FOR TEXAS &FLORIDA!!! FINISH THE APP,PLEASE.!!!!!!
Would not search. Deleted app needs updated
Waves and Water Temps would be a big step in the right direction
Doesn't show any beaches
Water temperature is always listed as "N/A". This data is always accurate at the CPDBeaches web site. If this app can't get the data feeds it needs for a given city like Chicago, it might be better to leave such a city out of the app.