Looking forward to a change in the weather, I explored the weather forecasts for the Puget Sound area by visiting the websites of four local news stations on my laptop. Each site offered a unique experience, with varying degrees of clarity and accessibility in presenting the forecast.
KOMO 4: KOMO’s website stood out as the most informative and user-friendly. The layout was intuitive, making navigation effortless. Comprehensive details were readily available, with essential charts prominently displayed at the forefront, providing quick access to the most critical weather information.
KIRO 7: KIRO’s site closely resembled KOMO’s in design and content but fell slightly short in the depth of its forecast. While still effective and easy to navigate, the weather information wasn’t as thorough, leaving me wanting a bit more detail.
KING 5: KING’s website featured vivid, descriptive graphics that caught the eye. However, it lacked the latest video forecast, which was a drawback. Additionally, radar weather displays seem to be geared toward meteorologists, offering little practical value for the average user like myself.
KCPQ 13: KCPQ provided multiple video forecasts, some dating back a few days, which added history but felt cluttered. The site buried essential forecast information beneath an array of gadgets, such as weather cams and radar displays. These features, while useful, would have been better placed after the primary forecast charts to improve accessibility.
