Weather data for everyone
Radar, warnings, forecasts, observations, outlooks, and other weather data are free and available to every HookScan user.
Join the betaA Welcome to the Chase project
See the storm.
Understand the risk.
Choose TestFlight, Google Play, or a direct APK download.
Installation help & beta details
HookScan brings professional radar, official warnings, forecasts, and intelligent weather guidance into one fast experience—built for everyday people, storm chasers, and meteorologists. All weather data is free.
iOS beta live Android beta live Desktop in development
HISTORICAL RADAREl Reno tornado caseMay 31, 2013 · KTLX
LOCAL ALERTSOfficial & location-aware
12Newest complete
radar frames
radar frames
250mSuper-resolution
radar gates
radar gates
40+Weather and
map layers
map layers
5Supported
platform families
platform families
The HookScan weather promise
All weather data is free.
Built for every experience level.
Radar products, official warnings, forecasts, observations, outlooks, and weather layers are available to every HookScan user. Weather information helps people protect themselves, their families, and their communities, so it should be easy to reach and easier to understand.
From an everyday forecast to advanced storm analysis, the weather picture is here for everyone.
FREE WEATHER DATA
- High-resolution radar products
- Official watches and warnings
- Forecasts and observations
- Outlooks and environmental layers
- Weather guidance and explanations
Why choose HookScan
One weather app that
grows with you.
HookScan is designed to remove the choice between an app that is easy to understand and one powerful enough for serious weather analysis.
Simple and advanced together
Start with plain English or move into deeper analysis without leaving the same weather picture or learning an entirely different app.
Built around live conditions
HookScan brings current radar, official alerts, forecasts, and environmental context together so users can spend less time searching.
Made with real users
Feedback from everyday users, storm chasers, and weather experts shapes the experience, priorities, and performance of every beta.
Built around the weather
The full weather picture.
In one place.
Radar, official alerts, forecasts, observations, and storm context work together, so you can understand what is happening without jumping between several products.
High-resolution radar
Inspect the newest complete radar scans across reflectivity, velocity, dual-pol products, spectrum width, and more—with smooth playback and precise timestamps.
Warnings that stay local
Follow official alerts around the places that matter to you. Warning colors, polygons, details, and optional sounds make urgent information easy to recognize.
WeatherCore guidance
Ask everyday weather questions or dig into storm details. HookScan combines official weather information with plain-language explanations built for real decisions.
One weather picture
Bring radar, lightning, observations, outlooks, hurricane guidance, storm reports, upper-air data, and forecast layers together without jumping between apps.
See the real product
Built to show you
more than one map.
Real NOAA radar from the May 31, 2013 El Reno tornado event, displayed in the current HookScan beta. These are historical research examples; the alert bar reflects current conditions, not warnings from 2013.
Strong radar returns around El Reno and Oklahoma City show the storm in geographic context. Historical KTLX scan · May 31, 2013.
Doppler velocity shows motion toward and away from the radar. Compare it with reflectivity to study the storm. Historical KTLX scan · May 31, 2013.
Correlation coefficient adds information about the consistency of radar echoes. Interpret it alongside other products and official information. Historical KTLX scan · May 31, 2013.
Zoom out to see the surrounding storms and precipitation while retaining radar playback and map context. Historical KTLX scan · June 1, 2013 at 00:14 UTC.
Layers inside HookScan
Turn on the weather information you need.
Everyday Mode explains layers in plain English. Chaser and Professional modes keep the technical product names and deeper analysis tools.
NEXRAD storm analysis
Super-resolution reflectivity, velocity, storm-relative velocity, correlation coefficient, differential reflectivity, specific differential phase, and spectrum width.
GOES-19 and lightning
Visible, infrared, water-vapor, and snow/ice imagery—plus recent Geostationary Lightning Mapper data for cloud and storm evolution.
Warnings and outlooks
NWS warning areas, SPC outlooks and discussions, WPC rainfall guidance, NHC tropical tracks, and official watches and advisories.
MRMS radar and rainfall
National composite reflectivity, precipitation totals, enhanced echo tops, hail guidance, and low- and mid-level rotation products.
Models and forecast grids
HRRR, NDFD, RAP, NAM, GFS, GEFS, RRFS, HREF, NBM, and other guidance for timing, precipitation type, and larger weather patterns.
Surface and upper-air data
METAR and mesonet observations, river gauges, local storm reports, soundings, hodographs, and weather-station data.
An app for everyone
Start where you are.
Go as deep as you want.
No weather background is required. HookScan changes how information is explained while keeping the same dependable weather data underneath.
WE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE
We understand that radar and weather information can be hard to interpret—especially when conditions are changing fast. HookScan is being built to make weather easier to understand for an everyday person protecting family and friends, while still giving storm chasers, meteorologists, and experts the depth they rely on. Every HookScan user gets access to the weather data at no charge, regardless of experience level.
No weather experience needed
Everyday people
Plain-English explanations, local alerts, easy forecasts, and feature guides help you understand what is happening and what to do next.
Fast, field-ready awareness
Storm chasers
Newest complete radar scans, advanced products, dual-screen analysis, storm reports, and rich map layers keep the weather picture close at hand.
Deeper analysis when it matters
Meteorologists + experts
Super-resolution and dual-pol radar, upper-air data, hodographs, outlooks, models, and detailed storm context support expert-level analysis.
WEATHER DATA
SHOULD HELP
PEOPLE ACT.
Built by Welcome to the Chase
Powerful when you need it.
Clear when you don’t.
HookScan was created because weather information is often scattered, overly technical, or locked behind upgrades. During severe weather, people should not have to hunt through several products or already understand meteorology to make a safer decision. We are bringing live radar, official alerts, forecast context, and clear explanations into one connected experience.
- ✓ Official weather data stays free
- ✓ Experience modes match different skill levels
- ✓ Accounts can sync saved places and preferences
- ✓ Weather-focused AI with safety boundaries
One HookScan ecosystem
Built for the screen
in front of you.
No matter which device or operating system you use, HookScan is being built to keep the same free weather data within reach—because dependable weather information should be available to everyone.
iPhone + iPad
Cloud ID, severe-weather reporting, location-aware alerts, widgets, and a touch-first radar experience.
Android
The same core weather and radar experience, adapted for modern phones, tablets, foldables, and varied screen sizes.
Windows + Mac + Linux
A desktop workspace for deeper analysis, including computer-only 3D radar rendering and storm cross sections.
Public beta · Free to test
Your phone. Your way in.
Try the newest HookScan features and help shape what comes next. Choose your platform to get started.
iOS public beta
Join our public beta in Apple TestFlight. Install TestFlight first, then accept the invitation to HookScan.
iOS public beta Public beta · Build 41 availableAndroid public beta
Join the public test with your Google account, then install HookScan through Google Play.
Android public beta Updates arrive through Google Play.Already a tester? Open store listing ↗.APK public beta
For phones without Google Play Services. Uses Android’s native GPS and installs separately as HookScan Beta.
.APK public beta Android 7.0+ · 49.6 MB · Version 1.2.0-beta (41)Installation details & limitations ↓Android public beta is available in the United States. Choose Google Play for automatic updates, or download the APK directly.
Installing and updating the direct APK beta
- Download the APK on your Android phone and open the downloaded file.
- If Android asks, allow this browser or file manager to install unknown apps, then confirm the installation. Turn that permission off again afterward.
- Open HookScan Beta. Grant location access when you choose a location feature. A first GPS fix may take longer on a phone without network-assisted location.
Updates: HookScan Beta checks for updates while open. Go to Settings → APK updates, tap Download update, then Install update. Android asks you to approve the installation and may first ask you to allow updates from HookScan Beta. Future updates can be downloaded inside the app without returning to this website. Install over HookScan Beta to keep your settings—do not uninstall it first. Google Play does not update this separate app.
Already using build 40 or earlier? Install this update once from the button above to enable downloads and updates inside HookScan Beta.
Alert limitation: This APK has no Google push service. Weather alerts refresh while HookScan is open; remote alerts while the app is closed are unavailable. Optional Spotter Network location reporting uses a separate, user-started Android foreground service.
Beta limitations: Hosted full-run model loops remain unavailable. Physical de-Googled phone testing is still needed. Keep another reliable source of official warnings available.
Have a bug report or feature idea? In HookScan, open Settings → Beta testing to email feedback with app and device details. You review the email before sending. You can also send beta feedback here or use TestFlight’s feedback tools.
Public weather sources
Built on official data.
Made easier to use.
HookScan does not create official warnings or forecasts. It organizes trusted public weather information, displays it together, and explains it for different experience levels.
NOAA
National Weather Service
National Hurricane Center
National Severe Storms LaboratoryNOAA and the National Weather Service
NEXRAD Level II and III radar, active alerts, point and office forecasts, METAR/ASOS observations, Hazardous Weather Outlooks, and National Water Prediction Service river data.
NOAA national centers
Storm Prediction Center outlooks, watches, and discussions; Weather Prediction Center rainfall and surface products; Climate Prediction Center outlooks; and National Hurricane Center advisories.
Satellite and storm science
NOAA GOES-19 imagery and GLM lightning, NOAA MRMS products, and NOAA/CIMSS ProbSevere storm guidance distributed through public NOAA data services.
Maps, reports, and fire information
Iowa Environmental Mesonet warning, watch, storm-report, and tile services; NIFC/WFIGS and InciWeb fire information; and Esri basemaps with OpenStreetMap contributor data.
Thank you.
HookScan is grateful to the meteorologists, researchers, engineers, observers, and public-data teams who make modern weather awareness possible—especially NOAA, the National Weather Service, the National Hurricane Center, and the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
HookScan is an independent product and is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or an official service of these agencies or organizations.